The mad king
by Tammy Two Paws
Summary: From stories to legends, from legends to myths, and from myths to barely a whisper that slowly dies. The era of the dark lord might have ended, but another era, another reign of evil, is about to start. 'Rapidly changing, insane Naruto. Rated T, Possibly changes.'
1. And so it begins

**AN: Welp, been gone for how long, half a year at least? Whatever. I WOULD have made an excuse, but can't really be bothered right now.**

**Anyway, surfing , I found a writer named Mrwriterwriter. I found his challenge… I'll take a shot. The challenge is named: What's in the scroll, and the challenge is this: Whatever you want can be in the scroll that Naruto steals. ANYTHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!**

**The only bad thing is that the challenge is a bit biased, but I'll try to make it better than my other fics.**

**ANOTHER THING! Am I using the word 'Though' correct? To anyone more capable in the English language, please tell me.**

**SO LETS START!**

**"Blablabla" *Speech.**

**'Thinkthinkthink' Thoughts. '**_**With italics'**_** means an ethereal being talks to a human.**

***An action, or reactionary sound, like a gasp, grunt or sigh***

_**Just italics in general mean either a flashback, or a vision.**_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* (This one's much prettier**)**

All in all, when Naruto actually thought about it, this idea was freaking stupid.

Why did he listen to Mizuki? I mean heck, He might be somewhat dense, but to actually believe Mizuki when he told Naruto this? He felt like smacking himself right now. He should just have gone to Iruka and asked for another chance, maybe another jutsu, or another practical test. Heck, his stealth is the best in his class!

"I'm gonna be in so much trouble when they find me." Naruto mumbled as he landed in a clearing. It wasn't the same clearing as he was supposed to meet Mizuki in, but right now he didn't care. He just wanted to find a place to lay low until someone he trusted ran past… He had to admit though; he was a bit curious about what's inside the scroll.

*Sigh* "I'm already in enough trouble, adding another crime can't make it much worse."

Opening the scroll, he noticed that it was a lot shorter than he thought. The wood-pin thing actually took up basically all the space. Rolled out, the paper was maybe two feet long, forming a square.

"Okay, what the heck is up with this big thing? You don't even need it dammit!" Throwing the piece of wood away in frustration, he then looked at the piece of paper in front of him.

A single word was written in the center of the paper. Inside a circle that was made of many strange squiggly lines, the word 'King' stood written, basically glaring him in the face.

"King? What the…?" He muttered. "Umm… Chakra?" He said as he inserted some chakra into the word.

Nothing happened.

"Dammit, what the heck am I supposed to do then?!" He yelled in frustration.

A memory flashed in front of his eyes. About two years ago in the academy, when they were going to practice kunai throwing. Somehow, all the kunais was gone, so Iruka had let them use his own. They puffed out of a scroll after he used a drop of his own blood on it. He remembers being mesmerized by that, though Iruka never taught him how to make those scrolls.

Blinking, Naruto bit his own thumb and swiped it across the word. He grinned from his own accomplishment when the scroll lit up in a green light, a light that somehow managed to portray the very word that was etched on the scroll.

As the light grew stronger, Naruto had to look away, and for just a brief moment, Naruto shivered as a scream emanated from the scroll, a scream taken straight out of man's darkest nightmares.

Soon the light dimmed, making him able to turn around again. The scroll had burned up, and in its place laid three objects.

The first object was a sword. The handle was a bit longer than a foot, and the crown was shaped somewhat like, well, a crown. The guard curved slightly, and was about half the length of the handle, and looked like it was made of silver. The blade itself was over three feet long, and was made by some sort of dark metal. While this in itself wasn't weird (after all, Kunais are made from a dark metal) It sort of seemed like the light became… Dimmed around the blade.

The second object was a dagger about half the size of the sword. It was almost a perfect replica of the sword, but the guard was curved the other way, and the blade looked like almost like silver.

The last object, Naruto noted, was a black cloak which the weapons laid on.

"What, no crown?" Naruto muttered, sniggering about his own joke. He leant forward and grabbed the sword.

And at that moment, Pain erupted throughout his body.

_He got visions of a landscape far away, of a plain where people in armor rode horses, a castle hidden away in a valley, a forest with… Moving trees? What the hell? Grotesque creatures roamed the lands, slaughtering entire villages, an old man dressed in white stood atop his gigantic tower made of metal, staring out at the burning furnace before him._

_It moved, and he now saw a white city, bigger than anything Naruto had ever seen. Atop the city, a man ran out of a building, past a white tree, screaming while he burned. Something that looked like dragons flew through the skies and on them rode cloaked men. Another man dressed in white stood atop the walls, having a staring competition with one of the dragon riders, a man that could easily be identified as the leader of the cloaked men._

_The vision shifted again, the cloaked leader stood on his knees in front of a woman, having just been stabbed by someone shorter than Naruto. And then, for just a brief moment before he was skewered by the woman's sword, Naruto felt that the man stared at him through his helmet, that even though Naruto wasn't there, the man could still feel his presence._

And then everything faded to black before he was returned back to the clearing, one hand clutching his chest while the other clenched the handle of the sword.

"What… What was that?" Naruto muttered as the pain went away. _*As a thousand needles in my heart*_ went through his mind, which made Naruto jump. He looked around desperately, but he neither saw nor heard anything, not even animal life, which should have made him creeped out, but in his current state of mind, he didn't notice.

He looked back at the other two items, noticing that the sword was surprisingly light, and after a moment of hesitation, he picked up the dagger.

… Nothing happened.

He let out a sigh of relief, but then a thought entered his mind.

"How the hell am I supposed to get all this back?" He muttered before noticing something inside the cloak.

Two scabbards and two different belts, one for the sword, and one for the dagger.

He took another glance at the dagger, feeling uneasy touching it to be honest, and then a ghastly voice rang through his mind.

'_A blade only to be used in the direst of situations, against the strongest opponents, never to be used carelessly.'_

He paled. "I'm going insane." Naruto muttered to himself while he sheathed the weapons and secured them around him, the dagger at his waist and the sword at his back since he was too short to have it at his waist.

A moment later, the voice came back, screaming '_DODGE'_ and Naruto dodged to the right, a big shuriken embedded in the ground where he just had been.

"Dammit!" A familiar voice grunted, and Naruto paled even more as he turned around and stared at the silver-haired man, his academy teacher Mizuki.

"Naruto, where's the scroll." Mizuki said, jumping down from the tree he stood in.

"W-What's going on here?" Naruto said as he took a step back.

Mizuki looked around the clearing, dismissing the weapons Naruto carried, and noticed the ashes near the black cloak.

"You little shit, you burnt the scroll!" He screamed, a fury like nothing Naruto had ever seen before clear in his eyes. He somewhat composed himself, a cruel grin stretched across his face.

'Yes,' he thought. 'That'll probably break his feeble little mind.'

"Hey Naruto, ever wondered why you are so hated?" He said to Naruto, his voice sugarcoated so much it made Naruto sick.

He didn't even wait for an answer. "As you know, almost thirteen years ago, the Nine-tailed fox attacked the village and the fourth Hokage killed the fox, right? Well that is a lie! He didn't kill the fox, but he sealed it! Can you guess what he sealed it in?"

"It can't be." Naruto whispered, taking a step back, a cruel laughter ringing in his head.

"YES! The fourth sealed the fox into a baby, and that baby is you! YOU ARE THE NINE-TAILED FOX!" He screamed, madness seeping from every syllable.

Naruto trembled, shock entering his mind, then a thought flew by his mind.

"Wait, how can I be the fox if the fox is sealed in me? That's just stupid! That's like calling a scroll with a kunai sealed in it the kunai!" He yelled back, anger beginning to rise.

"I DON'T CARE!" Mizuki screamed, grabbing the shuriken on his back before throwing it. "JUST DIE!"

Naruto saw the shuriken come closer, and without thinking about it, he crouched down, grabbed the handle of his sword, and slashed at the shuriken, somehow managing to send it back at the murderous man.

Both of them looked a bit shocked that Naruto managed to do that, but despite that minor, Mizuki dodged out of the way and ran faster than Naruto thought he was capable of, delivering a hard kick to his stomach, sending him crashing into a tree.

*Cough* "Dammit." He grunted, still holding his sword as he stood up shakily.

_'Let me do it.'_ He heard.

'What?' A shadowy visage entered his mind.

'_Let me… Help you.'_ It whispered.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, but a moment later he nodded.

"Okay."

Mizuki had no idea what just happened.

The scenario was almost perfect. The demon brat was hurt, and he was running towards him, intending to finish him off. Then a moment later was sent flying back through the air by the same brat after a punch in the face.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He yelled, staring at the boy.

With his head bowed, Naruto took a step forward, the sword being dragged through the grass.

"This body…" Came from the boy, and Mizuki took a double take at that voice.

That was not the brat's voice!

"What I would give to have a body like this in my era." A slithering voice said. "Stronger than any human was, stronger than even me… My master would have endeared this body…"

"W-Who the fuck are you?" Mizuki meant to yell that, but his voice came out as barely a whimper. What was the most terrifying about the voice wasn't that the brat said it, but that it was a corrupted mix of the boy's voice and… Something else.

The 'boy' raised his head, and Mizuki's eyes widened.

Those eyes. So empty, like looking into the darkest pit in hell, like a spiraling madness without relief. The black orbs of death himself.

A wicked grin spread across the boy's face.

"Impudent human, talking to me like that… Let me show you what true fear feels like."

A scream echoed across the clearing, a scream filled with so much terror and torment that Mizuki crumbled to the ground, shielding his ears as much as possible from that horrible noice. So many ways to die, his own death shown in more ways than he thought possible blocked his eyes.

And then it stopped, yet Mizuki couldn't manage the strength to rise from his fallen position. He couldn't do anything else than to quiver where he laid as he heard soft footsteps come closer to his position, and that constant sound of the sword being dragged.

"Weak, pathetic being. Even the humans from my time didn't fall over like this." It said, coming closer.

"But I will not take this kill… No. Rather, the new one shall do it… This world shall once again fear the wrath of the Nazgul."

Naruto had seen it all. He heard what that man, that… Nazgul, as he called himself said. He felt what he did, and that scream. So terrifying. Yet, Naruto could at most only feel a shiver run up his spine.

'_Finish him.'_

Naruto gulped, hesitating. 'I… I have to do it sometime. It's a part of my j-job after all.'

Breathing deeply, he looked down at the sobbing man. He raised his sword, and with a quick slash, the head rolled of his body.

He stared at his sword, that dark sword that seemed even darker somehow. The blood slowly slid down the blade, and Naruto followed it slowly with his gaze.

"I… I should feel… more than this." He muttered to himself, falling to his knees.

He sat there for several minutes, just looking at the body, not a single thought entering his mind. The blood from Mizuki's neck had stopped flowing, and had begun to clot, which made Naruto take a look at his sword. For some reason, not a single drop was left on the blade.

With a shaky breath, Naruto stood up, clutching the sword in his hand. He looked around and noticed the black cloak. He walked to it, bent over, and picked it up when he heard a gasp.

Spinning around, he stared at the newly arrived person. None other than his other teacher, Iruka.

Despite seeing his best friend dead, he quickly scanned over the area, noticing several things. Near the first thrown shuriken was an imprint of sandals that was deeper than other places, meaning that whoever stood there, probably Naruto had jumped away. By the imprint, he noticed that Naruto must have stood with his back turned, which meant that Mizuki probably attacked first.

'But why would he…' Iruka mused.

"I-Iruka sensei?" Naruto stammered, clutching his sword. "Are you here to kill me too?" He almost growled, glaring at his teacher.

Iruka snapped his eyes at Naruto, and before the boy could blink, the man was fussing over him.

"Naruto, are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened here? Why did you knock out the Hokage? Where did you find this stuff?"

He knelt down in front of the boy that seemed to have entered some kind of shocked state.

"Naruto, I need you to tell me what happened here. Did Mizuki plan this?" he said seriously, his eyes boring into Naruto's eyes, eyes that had returned to their normal blue hue.

'_Lie'_

'But… He's Iruka! I can't lie to him!'

'_Lie, or remain weak.'_

He took a deep breath.

"Mizuki… Mizuki tricked me into trying to take the scroll of sealing. After I knocked out the Hokage with my henge, I took the wrong scroll in desperation. It was really only a storage scroll with some reserve equipment, but I didn't notice that before I came here. I decided to train a bit before Mizuki found me and then…" He hesitated, but not for the reason Iruka thought.

"He attacked you, and you defended yourself, am I right?" Naruto nodded, a tiny bit of relief on his face before it hardened.

"When were you going to tell me about the Kyuubi? Out of all the people to tell me, Mizuki had to be the one." He muttered, scowling at his teacher.

Iruka sighed before hugging Naruto to him.

"I meant to do it after you graduated. I didn't want you to be bothered by the thoughts of Kyuubi before you became a gennin… This is a rank I think you have earned after stopping a traitor to Konoha." He said.

"Close your eyes Naruto." He muttered, taking of his head-band when he noticed Naruto closed his eyes, and put it over his head.

"Congratulations gennin Naruto Uzumaki." He said, smiling while he held the boy's green goggles.

He expected to be crushed by one of Naruto's hugs, but instead he got a boy that looked at the ground.

Sighing, Iruka put his hand on Naruto's head.

"It hurts Naruto, it really does, hurt to take another person's life, but in time, the pain becomes a bit more bearable." He said, hugging Naruto again.

'But… I don't feel bad for doing it'.


	2. An uneasy team

**AN: God, the fighting scene was annoying. I am absolutely terrible at fighting scenes that revolves around more than two characters it seems. Anyway, this is probably gonna be my last AN for this story in a while. I want to make this story's flow better than my other stories. BTW: Does anyone know the time lapse between the academy test and the jounin test? And please tell me of any spelling mistakes!**

**Anyway, LET'S START!**

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV 

The last week had been a strange one for everyone In Konoha. The first that had happened was that the security had been increased around the village. Apparently, the fact that an academy failure managed to not just enter the Hokage's private library, but also knock out the aforementioned Hokage and steal a scroll, even if the scroll was without much value, (Nope, no value at all) was a sign that they should take this seriously.

The second and last thing that had happened was the fact that the week had been surprisingly quiet. Usually, there would have been a certain orange-clad boy that would run around, pulling pranks on everyone while screaming on the top of his lungs that he was gonna be the next Hokage. That didn't happen this week, and for a somewhat good reason too.

Naruto awoke that morning, feeling less enthusiastic than he had felt in years. He had somewhat become used to it, for he hadn't really had much positive energy this last week.

He stretched, hearing his back making cracking noices, and when he was satisfied, he went over to the window, pulled the curtains away, and promptly swore as he covered his eyes.

This was another thing that made Naruto's mood drop. For some reason, everything seemed to become brighter for each day. In the start, it wasn't really all that noticeable, but as the week passed, he had to squint more and more. It was really becoming quite annoying if he had to be honest with himself.

But he smiled when he turned away from the window. One good thing had happened this last week, and that was the fact that he felt stronger than ever before. The sword that he got from the scroll, for some reason, it felt almost natural to use it. He wasn't anywhere near good with it, but he could easily hold himself against most of his class with it if he had too he guessed.

He hadn't trained much with the dagger though. For some reason, he always felt uneasy when he held it, like something was lurking in the blade, just waiting for him to stab someone. Yet, he felt he couldn't leave it in the house unguarded, so the least he did was hide it away behind some loose floor-planks, a trap here and there put up if only to annoy the would-be thief.

The cloak, he had only used once, and that was the item that mystified him the most. As the light became more annoying, he had to find something to at least block some of the sunlight. He had tried a hat, he had tried sunglasses. Heck, he had even tried a non-orange jacket that had a pretty big hood, but yet the light almost blinded him. But yesterday, when he used to cloak for the first time, everything became darker for him, and the light levels changed to a much more acceptable level.

But being lost in his own mind was not on his agenda that day. Today, he would be given his team! He had actually went shopping just two day ago for some darker clothes. They were still pretty much orange, but they were at a darker, and much more manageable shade for both others and himself. It didn't help that he was almost blinded just three days ago when he opened his closet. He also liked wearing his new head-band around his neck, just felt more comfortable. (And his hair somewhat shadowed for the sun, even if it barely worked.)

As he opened the door to leave, he looked back at the hiding place of his weapons and cloak. A part of him said to just leave them, but another part, almost possessively, screamed at him to bring them with him.

"I'll come back for you." He whispered, almost in a trance. He broke eye-contact with the spot, and as he took a deep breath, he went out of the apartment, and closed the door.

He left for the academy pretty early, not feeling like rushing to get there in time for once. As he walked down the street, he once again noticed the looks the villagers gave him. For some reason though, instead of making him depressed, it almost felt like the glares fueled him. It actually felt so good he almost broke a smile.

Of course, all good things had to end as he closed in on the academy. He saw kids younger than him scurry around, trying to find their friends before their first year, and he also saw several people about his own age sitting around in their own cliques.

He couldn't be bothered by any of them, so he just strode straight into the academy, quickly finding his classroom door, where he was instantly greeted with a wall of sound.

Jupp, everyone that had passed was inside. Hinata, Kiba, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji and several more he just couldn't remember the name of. Speaking about the dog-nin.

"Hey Naruto, what are you doing here? This is only a place for people who actually passed the test!" Kiba snarled at the boy, but surprisingly enough, the one who answered him wasn't Naruto, but rather an agitated Nara.

"Could you just shut it Kiba? Are you too blind to see the head-band around his neck, or are you simply a retard?"

Everyone who had listened in stared at the lazy boy, mouth agape and brain malfunctioning. Shikamaru Nara, the proclaimed laziest and most laid-back person to ever exist just up and told another person, Kiba no less, to shut up, and he actually said more than one word.

Breaking out of the spell before the others, Naruto decided that sitting beside the angry sloth may not be such a bad idea.

"So" He began. "What's up with you?" He mumbled.

Shikamaru sighed and put his head on his arms. "Me and my family have trouble sleeping. There's a reason most of my family is lazy, and it comes from our bloodline. If we doesn't get a minimum amount of sleep, our abilities might run amok. What a drag." He ended, snuggling into his arms a bit more.

Chouji nodded, patting his friends back as he mumbled through his chips. "There there Shika, I bet everything's gonna turn out better soon."

During their little conversation, Ino and Sakura, the self-proclaimed number 1 fan girls of Sasuke had entered the room, yelling profanities at each other which became shriller the longer they spoke.

"Can you girls shut UP!" A voice yelled from the row furthest from the blackboard.

Everyone, including the recently arrived Iruka, stared at the boy with the black sunglasses. Not just Shikamaru, but also Shino was starting to act weird now. What the hell Is happening?

Dismissing the recent development Iruka told the girls to sit down before starting.

"Everyone who is here today, congratulations for passing the academy test! I am sure you are all going to make this village proud, and I am also sure you will all grow into strong ninjas. 'or, at least some of you' Now, Let's begin with the team-placements."

The whole class spaced out basically, only slightly perking up now and then when a name was heard.

"Team 7, lead by the Jounin Hatake Kakashi will consist of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Chouji Akimichi."

An ear-splitting screech went through the classroom after that announcement.

"Team 8, lead by the Jounin Kurenai Yuuhi will consist of Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuuga."

Two screams of 'Dog-kid with fleas' and 'rabid fan girl' resounded around the room as the raven-haired girl looked down in sadness for not coming in the same team as her love.

Another team was named without any really reacting that badly until the last team was called.

"Team 10, led by the Jounin... This can't be correct" He mumbled to himself as the class perked up.

"Anyway, the team consists of Shino Aburame, Naruto Uzumaki and Shikamaru Nara. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take a quick chat with the Hokage." And with that, he rushed out the door, leaving a somewhat confused classroom behind.

It wasn't long before the Jounin began to arrive, and the classroom quickly became less and less occupied. Kurenai, a raven-haired, red-eyed individual had to drag a sobbing Ino out of the building. In the end, only two teams was left: Team 7, and Team 10.

Not a lot of conversation had happened, mostly just Sakura gushing at her precious Sasuke-Kun while everyone else tried to block her voice out, and for some reason, Shikamaru and Shino seemed a bit on edge. Naruto just sat there, lost in his own mind, replaying his last training session over and over, finding parts he might improve.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a very familiar face came in.

"Iruka, you're back!" Naruto said, noticing the slightly different uniform.

Scratching his neck, Iruka nodded before coughing. "Team 10, could you come with me?"

Glancing at each other, the kids followed their teacher to the nearby taijutsu field, leaving the chubby Akimichi, the raving Haruno, and the brooding Uchiha behind.

"Yes... Well, it seems like I am going to be your Jounin Sensei. I was given back my old rank as Jounin which I had before I meet you guys. Anyway, any questions?"

"What is the purpose of this team? The members and the abilities in this team seems... Illogical." Shino asked, straightening his glasses.

"... Infiltration, assassination and information gathering. Shikamaru's abilities will in the future be perfect to infiltrate heavily-secured areas, you Shino will be perfect to gather information as I know your bugs have the abilities to read, and Naruto is actually one of the more stealthy individuals in Konoha, having hidden from Chuunin and Jounin several times after his pranks. That, combined with his newly obtained Kenjutsu skills that will improve, makes him a great potential Assassin." He said, not bothering to sugarcoat what this team was supposed to do in the future.

Shikamaru and Shino shared an uneasy look while a chilling laughter went through Naruto's mind.

"But then again, you still have one more test before you are official genins." Iruka said, somewhat ruining the tense mood. "Meet me at training ground 10 in about an hour. Bring everything you may think you need for any situation." And with a poof, Iruka had left.

Shino turned around, about to address his blonde team-mate before he noticed that he was already gone, barely a small speck in the horizon.

"Shikamaru. We need to be careful around Naruto. My bugs... They are uneasy whenever he is close. The worst part is, they don't know why he makes them uneasy." Shino said, his monotone voice actually a bit scared.

"I know, he makes me uneasy too." Shikamaru said, walking away while muttering "What a drag."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV 

Sitting cross-legged on the ground of training ground 10, Iruka sighed at the recent development. He really didn't want to take his position back. He loved teaching, but he had always been a more theoretical person than a practical person. Shino and Shikamaru would easily pick up what he said, but he was unsure about Naruto. Naruto had always been a very practical person, so Iruka was a bit unsure how to be a good teacher for him.

Speaking of the blonde, a short individual with a somewhat familiar black cloak was seen walking into the same ground as Iruka, a sword which was almost taller than the person on his back.

"Hey Iruka Sensei." Came from within the hood, a a familiar whiskered face somewhat concealed from view. Iruka noted that it was an unusually dark shadow that the hood cast over Naruto's face.

"Hey Naruto, what's with the cloak?" Iruka asked, watching the boy shift on his feet a bit.

"Ehh, I just think that the sun has become damn bright for some reason. Plus, you can't deny I look kinda awesome in this cloak!" Naruto ended in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Iruka sighed. 'Well, I can't really force him to stay the same person after that experience in the woods. Except for the cloak, he seems to be taking it well... I'll have to keep an eye on him though. Naruto has always been good at hiding his true feelings and motives.'

He was brought out from his thoughts when he felt a tugging notion at his arm.

"You never told me you was a Jounin. Why did you teach at the academy if you was a Jounin?"

"I've always loved teaching." Iruka said, smiling. "It was my choice really. Before I became a teacher, I was part of the hunter-nin division. I wasn't the best, but I was still fairly good. My experience there helped me deduce what happened when... When Mizuki attacked you." Iruka frowned when he said that, remembering the shaken boy and the decapitated man.

'Something doesn't feel right about that scene.' Iruka mused, watching Naruto do some basic moves with a dagger after having his curiosity sated. 'If I am correct, Mizuki might have been dead for maybe half an hour before I came, yet his body was already stiff and tense, something that usually doesn't happen before three or four hours... What could have made Mizuki react like he did? He must obviously have been scared shit-less by something, but what? It can't be the Kyuubi, everyone within a miles radius would have felt its chakra, and I know Naruto has no skill in genjutsu at all, nor is he able to manifest his ki yet, so it can't really be Naruto. Did he get help?'

This continued for the next 25 minutes, Naruto training with his dagger while Iruka was lost in his own mind, replaying the scene over and over again in his head.

He was broken from his somewhat depressing thought process when he noticed Shikamaru and Shino walk towards him.

'I'll have to take another look in the forest, maybe scourge the area surrounding the clearing for some other tracks.'

"I see you're all here." Iruka announced, getting the attention of Naruto as he walked towards them.

"Now, as I said before, this is the final test to make you all official genins. Since our squad has a specific purpose, I will make it somewhat interesting. This squad's main job is, in the end, assassinations, so I want you three to make a scenario where I will be caught quickly, silently and efficiently with limited or no chance of escaping. Of course, just coming up with a scenario is to easy, so you will have to try and catch me. Any questions?"

The three graduates glanced at each other before ultimately shaking their head.

Satisfied with the answer, Iruka shunshin'd away, leaving behind a note.

Taking the initiative, Naruto picked up the note and read out loud what was written on it.

"As a squad that is basically going to be like a mix of ANBU and hunter-nins, you have to learn patience, stealth, tracking, tactics and how to make a plan on a moments notice. You have until the sun rises tomorrow to catch me. I will only reveal that I have not left the walls of Konoha, so I can be hidden everywhere, but I will not have henged. This is a great test when it comes to your current tracking skills, and will show your future potential.

Just a quick note: I will fight back, so don't expect it to be over even if you find me. -Iruka"

Naruto looked up from the paper, noticing Shikamaru in a strange pose, his brow furrowed in concentration. Shino on the other hand just looked into space, seeming distracted by something.

"Something the matter Shino?" Naruto asked, snapping the bug-ninja out of his trance.

"No, I'm fine. Shikamaru, got any plans?" Shino asked, his voice wavering a bit at the start before settling into his normal monotone.

It took a moment before they got an answer, Shikamaru standing up before he spoke. "Does anyone know where his apartment is? The first step to check should always be at the targets home if you know where it is. Devising a strategy about how to catch Iruka seems somewhat pointless until we actually know where he is and what kind of environment we will fight him in." He said, looking at the other two.

"I have been there before." Naruto said, making the other two raise an eye-brow. "Long story short, I haven't always been healthy." Naruto ended, not interested in explaining anything.

And with that, they began their quest, Naruto leading the way while his two team-mates following just a bit to far away for it to be normal.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV 

An hour had gone by, and Iruka finally found his way back to the clearing. He never had the best memory when it came to locations.

"Thank god that the ANBU didn't leave any new marks or tracks in the ground or surrounding area. Being an elite seems to have it's perks." Iruka mumbled to himself as he looked over the clearing from atop a branch. He looked over to where Mizuki lied dead just a week ago and frowned.

"Mizuki... *Sigh*"

Getting his head in hunter-nin mode, he began to trail the events.

"Naruto came from west, but he seems to have taken a random path to get here... He walked over here..." Iruka took fifteen steps forward. "Before stopping here... He sat here, putting the scroll down on the ground..." He noticed that there were some ashes right beside where Naruto sat. "The scroll burned up after Naruto got the items... And then Mizuki attacked from behind, throwing one of his shurikens... Naruto sat with his back towards the tree, giving Mizuki a great chance to attack, yet Naruto managed to dodge... Did Mizuki brag before attacking? No, it doesn't fit him. Me may belittle someone, but that's usually after attacking."

He traced to where Naruto landed, and noted the distance between Naruto's new position and Mizuki's position was about 45-50 feet. "Mizuki attacked again, but Naruto managed to deflect the shuriken back somehow..." He noticed the hole in the tree where the shuriken Naruto deflected hit. "Mizuki ran forward and kicked Naruto... He hit the tree, landing on the ground, and then... Naruto... Walks forwards... Mizuki seems to have collapsed at this point for some reason... And Naruto cut of his head... He seems to have broken down here..." Iruka sighed, no closer to an answer than before.

"At least I know that Mizuki must have started the fight, and that he collapsed at the last part of the battle. Did Naruto manage to swipe at him when Mizuki kicked him, giving him a crippling wound? No, I don't remember seeing any other wounds on him... Surveying the trees have given me nothing, and there is no other footsteps here, or anywhere close to this clearing that belongs to anyone else than Naruto and Mizuki..."

He continued to trace the area for any signs for the next hour, his frustration growing as it was becoming more and more apparent that coming here was almost fruitless.

He finally stopped when he noticed that It had become darker in the forest, signaling that the sun must have went down.

"And so the night begins... I wonder if they have found my place yet." He mumbled, deciding to mark this place as clean for now.

As he shunshin'd away, his eyes fell on the ashes on the ground, making him wonder if there possibly was something else in the scroll.

He appeared again on top of the Hokage Mountain, A good 500 feet from the edge in a little tent he had set up.

He immediately sensed three chakra signatures slowly closing in on his position. They were still a good distance away, but there was no mistaking the noticeably larger signature that was Naruto's aiming straight at his location.

"It seems like they found me... I wonder if it's Naruto that showed them how to follow basic tracks." He mumbled to himself, grabbing a sandwich from his bag that was just outside the tent.

"The first thing I should teach them is how to conceal their chakra. I don't expect Naruto to master it, but it will at least make him seem like a much lesser threat than what he really is." He said a couple of minutes later after having finished his dinner, the signatures around 150 feet away, having stopped for now.

"They've most likely seen the shine from my camp-fire. I wonder what they'll do first." He mumbled to himself while he waited for them to make the first move.

He noticed the signatures get closer, and suddenly a kunai flew from the forest. He effortlessly grabbed it, looking a bit disappointed through the trees.

"Is that all?" He yelled to them before noticing that he couldn't move. He then noticed the barely visible string attacked to the handle.

The next moment he was swarmed by bugs while a blade was tickling his throat.

"You shouldn't underestimate us Iruka." Naruto said as he smirked. _'Kill him'. _Rang in his head, making his eye twitch a little.

"Not bad," The scarred man said. "This tactic would actually trick a good amount of chuunin, but there is just one problem..." And as he said that, he turned into water and fell to the ground, showing that he was a water-clone.

"I'm not a chuunin." Came from a tree. "I have to say though, playing on my apparent skills and arrogance, making a favorable gamble that I would catch that single kunai was actually pretty clever... But in the end, it failed anyway. Lesson number one: Never expect that you have won until you have your targets head in your hands." He said, watching the three youths bracing themselves. A moment later, he disappeared in front their very eyes.

The silence that ensued didn't help the tense mood the group had.

"Lesson number two: Sensing. Being able to sense, or at least predict where an enemy is, what the enemy might use, where he might strike from and what he might strike first. For instance..." He said, appearing in front of Shikamaru before sending him flying back with a palm-thrust. Naruto attacked him with his sword and Shino went to help his fallen comrade, but Iruka merely dodged lazily around the sword. After a particularly wide swing that left Naruto wide open, he used the same move again, aiming Naruto so he was sent flying towards Shino.

Anticipating this, Shino grabbed Naruto as he flew be, span around, and threw the boy at their teacher, Naruto having somehow managed to sheathe his sword and taken out his dagger.

The first slash missed as Naruto met blades with Iruka. The Jounin jumped back, seeing Shikamaru's shadow try to grab him while at the same time dodging a kunai sent his way from his blond student. With another flurry of speed, Iruka ran at Naruto, and with an easy move, disarmed him and threw him at Shino again, this time hitting the bug-boy, sending them both to the ground.

"This cloak's just in the way!" Naruto grounded out through gritted teeth, throwing the robe of him before unsheathing his sword again, running at Iruka while being accompanied by Shino's bugs. Naruto dodged out of the way from a water-bullet sent from their teacher, but noticed a chunk of Shino's bugs drop to the ground.

"God-DAMMIT!" Naruto yelled, pouring chakra into his sword as he slashed at Iruka. The scarred man wisely dodged out of the way, seeing a wave of chakra exit the boys blade and cutting a tree in two, sending it tumbling to the ground. Not letting up in his charge, Naruto continued to swipe at his teacher, leaving gashes at the surrounding fauna as Iruka easily dodged away from Naruto's predictable attacks.

With a last swing Iruka jumped up to one of the undamaged trees, noticing the panting form of Naruto leaning a bit on his blade.

"You're definitely better at fighting without that cloak Naruto, ever considered turning parts of it into a simple hood instead?" He said, jumping to another tree as to not be caught by another one of Shikamaru's shadows.

"Not really, but I'll think I do it tomorrow. It'll be easier to move at least, that's for sure." Naruto said, being joined by a sweating Nara and a stoic Aburame.

Seeing the exhausted forms of his students, Iruka came to a quick conclusion. With a single hand-sign he grabbed the tree, sent some chakra through it too the earth, and trapped his students legs in a simple, yet very effective earth-jutsu.

"Alright, I think I'll say this test is over." He said, staring down at his students. "I must say, you three did a great job, and Naruto, you've really improved. If you and Sasuke ever meet in a fight, I'd bet on you." Iruka said with a smile, earning the same reaction from his student.

"But in the end," He said, dampening the mood. "You didn't catch me, did you?" He said, before noticing something weird. If he didn't know better, he would think that Shino was... Smiling...

"Well... Shit." He said a moment later, noticing once again that he couldn't move. The Shikamaru that stood at Naruto's side turned into really familiar bugs, flying up and attaching to Iruka as Naruto landed beside him with the sword at his throat, and the once-again acquired dagger at his neck.

"Check mate." He heard from behind him, feeling a smirk from the lazy genius.

"Check mate indeed." Iruka said, regaining function to his limbs as the shadow retreated.

'_Coat your blade with his blood, feel it slither down your hands, let it enter the soil beneath your feet.'_

Naruto's hand trembled for a moment, his ocean-blue eyes for a quick moment turning into a much darker hue. He shook his head and sheathed his blades, his eyes once again their natural color as he jumped down with his teacher.

"Well, what do I have to say? I'm proud to say that you pass! I will take a quick guess though and say that Shikamaru made the plan, am I right?" He said smirking.

"You're half-right sensei." Said the Lazy teen. "I did come up with the general plan, but it was actually Naruto that came up with the place-switching. To be honest, I don't think our plan would have worked without the clone. We knew you would attack me first, me being the smartest and with the only restricting move, therefore making me the greatest threat in the long run. We actually gambled that you would throw Naruto at Shino, which gave us the chance to switch me with a clone when Naruto kept you busy."

Iruka smiled, satisfied. "You three together are definitely enough to take a chuunin down easily, which was one of my two requirements. The other one was at least tolerable teamwork, and you have shown that in abundance. Team 10, meet me at Training ground 10 in two days. You will have tomorrow to recuperate and finding any last-second equipment you might need. Now, I would like to stay, but I have a report I must give the Hokage. See ya." And with that, he shunshin'd away, leaving the three ecstatic genins behind.

"Can't wait to start really working with you guys." Naruto said, awkwardly extending a hand. Shino looked at it for a moment before turning around, beginning the trek down the mountain.

"Yeah, at least you aren't as loud as you used to be." Shikamaru muttered as he yawned, striding behind Shino.

_'Strike them down.'_

Naruto shook his head as he was left alone. Naruto made no lies about knowing what was inside of his head. He knew exactly who, or what that man was. The Witch-King of Angmar, the mightiest of the long deceased Nazgul. Naruto shuddered a bit as he remembered how the corpse of a man looked. He knew the mans aura was influencing him, but the part that made him a bit worried was that he was beginning to like it.

He had managed to suppress the feeling for the most part around others, but the mans dark aura still spilled from him. The strange part was that it didn't seem to affect everybody, just selected people around him. He didn't know why, and the wandering corpse in his head rarely talked at all, so no answers there.

As Naruto picked up the cloak he had left behind, something else entirely went on in his head. Angmar was seen slowly wandering around in ankle-deep water. Around him were rusted metallic walls, and above him some pipes.

At first glance one would think he was wandering around aimlessly, but it quickly became apparent that his directions had a purpose.

It didn't take long for him to reach his goal.

The corridor widened to a gigantic room, and in the middle was a gate, each and every metallic pole wider than he was, and in the middle was a seal.

He stopped a small distance from the gate and merely stared at it. A silence ensued as the water stopped moving, and the moment there was no more ripples, he screamed a horrifying scream. The scream that made the Nazgul the most feared warriors in history, being able to inflict pure terror on their victims just with a sound.

Behind the gate, movement was seen, then a massive red-slitted eye opened before it shrank slightly.

"**It can't be possible." **Kyuubi muttered, shrinking back in fear.

"_So we meet again Balrog, you pathetic being." _And with that greeting he walked through the gates, roars of despair emanating from the massive fox.


	3. The black knight

**AN: Forget what I said last chapter, I just have to much to say to NOT write these notes. Then again, my notes aren't as large as some other author notes. (3+ pages long, are you kidding me?)**

**Anyway, sorry for the random break. Life reared it's ugly mug again, AND I was sick at the same time. Yeah, not a good past month. PLEASE let me know of any spelling and grammar mistakes!**

**A somewhat boring start even in my opinion, but somewhat necessary. ANYWAY! There's a small fight-scene in this chapter. It's short simply because of the fact that it didn't need to be long. Anyone dare to guess who their mysterious target is?**

**I AM HEREBY LOOKING FOR A BETA READER! ANYONE WANTING TO TRY? MY ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT I WANT THE SPELLING AND GRAMMAR CORRECTING DONE WITHIN A WEEK!**

**Must...Resist...Making...Re-cap...Like...That...Pokemon...Narrator...**

**LET'S START!**

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 

Shikamaru couldn't help but sigh as he went to bed that night. Being a ninja was just as tiresome as he had envisioned, but it was even harder for his team who was being trained for possibly the hardest missions. Him being lazy certainly didn't help.

He couldn't really complain about Iruka. Iruka was taking his task much more seriously it seemed like than he did his Academy job. Then again, it might just have been so that the academy was more stress-inducing, but that was something he really didn't want to find out.

Iruka was certainly braver than Shikamaru thought. Not long ago he had come home to the lazy family and basically demanded that Shikamaru was taught some more of his clans techniques, but what shocked the lazy genius was that his father didn't outright refuse, but actually considered it before conceding and admitting he had been slacking off as a teacher! Shikamaru wasn't happy, but he could somewhat begrudgingly see their point. Despite everything, Shikamaru didn't want to become the weakest link, his laziness be damned.

He sighed again before he closed his eyes, letting the dreamworld take him.

It was his usual dream. A wast, empty meadow in an equally wast forest, grass sticking up from the ground with the occasional deer wandering around. The clouds above him wandering by as he stared up at the, from his lying position at the ground. The perfect dream in his opinion, with not a single care in the world. He might not get as much sleep anymore, but his dreams was still the same at least.

Time went by in the dream, the clouds slowly drifting by lazily as the deers grazed around him. He even began dozing off in the dream. He would have dozed off too if it was not for a small detail.

The sun was setting, something that never happened in his dreams. At night it was much harder for him to cloud-gaze, so it was usually daytime during his dreams, but now, the sun was settling, and it was becoming darker uneasily fast.

Then, from deep inside the wast canopy, a light emerged. He sat up, peering inside the forest as he wondered what that was. It slowly became apparent what it was, and it scared him deeply. The light slowly expanded, and in it's wake, only death was left.

Shikamaru quickly scurried to the top of a tree and peered towards the horizon where the fire originated from. What he saw left him shocked.

He knew that place. He knew that village, maybe a bit to well. The mountain with the faces was destroyed, one of the heads having rolled over the academy, destroying it completely. The rest of the village was in even worse condition, houses having been destroyed in the fire, corpses lying on the ground, and even most of the wall that protected the village was destroyed.

He didn't notice it, but the fire had passed him, destroying the tree he stood on which sent him tumbling into the ground. Slowly, almost mechanically he stood up before walking towards his home. The slow walk turned into a brisk jog, which in turn changed into a mad dash.

He soon entered the village, and quickly found his clans home. Nothing was left, only a bit of burned wood and planks was left, and a hand stuck up from the destroyed building. Despite it being heavily burned, Shikamaru could easily identify it.

"No... Nononononono." He muttered frantically as he speed towards it, digging through the ashes. He quickly took a step back and swallowed his bile as he stared upon the horribly burned face of his father.

Tears began running down his face as he shivered, slowly crumbling down as he hugged his knees. The reality of what he was seeing slowly settling in. Then something important sprung to his mind.

"CHOUJI!" He screamed, bolting to where his heavy friend was living.

He wasn't even halfway there before he stopped dead in his track. There, right in front of him was a cloaked individual crouched on the ground, his or her hands hidden inside the sleeves, but it looked like it was praying. The cloak looked oddly familiar, but in his current state of mind he couldn't put the pieces together.

"H-Hey." He said, closing in on the person. Whether it was a man or lady was hard to tell, but whoever it was didn't react to the call.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he put his hand on the person's shoulders. Then, faster than he could react, the person turned around and stabbed him in the chest with a strangely familiar silver dagger. Then, before his vision darkened, he saw the whiskered face of his team-mate grin at him, a smile darker than he had ever seen before, and it shocked him to his very core.

Shikamaru bolted up from his bed, panting as he shook from the nightmare. He put his head in his hands as he breathed deeply, the dream constantly repeating itself in his mind. He slowly clenched his fist, anger building inside him.

"Damn you Naruto." He muttered, punching the wall.

"I know this is your fault somehow. I don't know how, but I just know it's your doing." He said as he glared at the wall, the boys grin etched in his mind.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 

"Team 10 reporting for duty Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, AKA The professor, AKA the Third Hokage looked about the four individuals before him.

Iruka stood at the front, a small bit of pride emanating from the man as he stared upon the wrinkled old man. Shikamaru Nara stood behind him to the left, looking tired as usual, but strangely enough sending a glare now and again to his left. To Iruka's right was Shino Aburame, standing just as stoically as was expected of an Aburame, but was he frowning somewhat? At last, directly behind Iruka stood Naruto Uzumaki, his unofficial second grandson, and a boy he hadn't seen in over a month.

He was glad he was smoking when he came in, for the changes Naruto had went through somewhat shocked him.

Hiruzen knew about the darker orange clothing the boy bought, but once again the clothes had darkened. The orange was now nearing the territory of dark-brown, and his sandals had been changed for some simple, but efficient shoes. His once hood-less jacket now had a hood with a color so dark that it seemed to dim the light of anything around it, and the face of the whiskered boy was unnaturally shaded by the shadow, making it hard even for him to spot anything, but he could still see a small smirk, he just didn't know if it was an arrogant or happy smirk.

They had accepted missions before, Hiruzen knew that, but he usually came to the mission office at noon while the team in front of him took missions at the morning. For once he had decided to come down early, If only to check up on how the blond boy did.

He took the pipe out of his mouth as he blew out some smoke.

"Ahh, Team 10. What kind of mission do you want today?" He said as he put the pipe in his mouth again.

"We would like a C-rank mission, preferably an easy assassination target Lord Hokage."

He almost choked on the pipe when he heard that, and he could swear he heard a snigger from one of the boys.

"A C-rank already? Iruka, are you crazy?!" He said, staring hard at the Jounin before him.

"I know they are ready Lord Hokage, and I think it's time they learn how a REAL assassination works." He said, meeting the gaze of the old man without flinching.

"Plus," He said, smirking." They have me after all just in case everything goes to hell."

He sat back at his surprisingly uncomfortable chair as he slowly took a drag from his pipe. A moment later, his hand went over to the D-rank pile before stopping. With a deep sigh his hand slowly went over to another pile before retrieving a scroll from it.

"Fine, you win. Your mission is bordering on B-rank, but I trust Iruka's judgment about your skills, and I trust he will keep you safe in case everything goes wrong. You are to hunt down and kill a mysterious warrior. Basically nothing is known about this man except for his attire. He is wearing full armor, not used since the ancient times with the primary colors being black and blue. He was also seen carrying a giant sword. The reports are a bit unreliable, but he is supposedly at least seven feet tall."

The old man lent back in his chair, taking a drag from his pipe. "He was last seen in crater city where he butchered several people before fleeing towards the west. I have talked to River, rain and wind country, and you are allowed to follow him into those countries if he crosses the border. This is your mission, kill this person, and bring his body back here. You have as much time as you need, but report back if he crosses over to an unannounced country."

"Thank you Lord Hokage." Iruka said as he bowed before leaving the office with his students in tow.

"Naruto, may I have a talk with you?" Asked the withered old man, making the boy stop at the door.

"Sorry old man, but we have to talk after the mission." Naruto said, barely turning around before exiting, leaving a sighing old man.

'I must say, I definitely miss the old days where he constantly came here.' He mused to himself before he took another drag from his pipe.

"Okay, everyone got their scrolls with their equipment with them?" Iruka asked directly outside the academy, receiving a quick nod from his students.

"Good, then we will leave immediately. Our first destination is Crater City. If we are lucky he might have left a trail behind, which is extremely likely since he is wearing heavy armor. All right, let's go."

"How far is it?" Shino asked as they speed through the gates, throwing the mission scroll at the guards, signaling that they was on a mission.

"It's a pretty decent distance from the village, but if we can keep at this pace with only one stop along the way, we will be there about an hour or so before the sun sets. As the name implies, the city is inside a crater, making it easier to defend than most villages, but it's extremely susceptible to flooding obviously enough."

Not much else was said during the trip. The scenery changed only minimally, going from a dense forest to a somewhat more sparse forest, which really didn't make the trip any more eventful sadly enough.

It was actually so silent that Iruka had to glance behind him several times just to make sure his students was still following him, which is when he glanced upon Naruto.

'He really didn't take it well.' He thought to himself, letting out a sigh. Iruka had hoped during this last month that Naruto would open up again, and be somewhat more cheerful, but instead it seemed like he had fallen even deeper into this new, stoic nature of his.

What he couldn't be prouder about though was his physical process. He still didn't have a chance against Iruka, but he was definitely the strongest genin on the team. It was something to be expected though. Naruto's enormous chakra pool made Shino's chakra-draining bugs basically useless, and Naruto was actually pretty good at Melee fighting even in the academy, and it had only became better.

Shikamaru actually had it even worse than Shino. While Naruto couldn't cancel out the shadow, he had barely enough strength when using his chakra to resist the influence, so it was a stalemate until Shikamaru either cancelled the technique, or ran out of chakra. Due to his lazy nature, he was actually weaker than his two team-mates, and since Shino's bugs could act independently, his shadow was useless due to loss of chakra. He had to get in touch with Gai. Despite the mans somewhat eccentric nature, he was the world's best martial artist for a reason. He knew at least something about every style, and he could help Shikamaru find something fitting while giving a good schedule.

He was a tiny bit concerned for Naruto's mental state though. He was simply so... Cold nowadays. He had followed Naruto a few times as he went home. Everything was sadly enough as normal. People glaring at the blonde. What happened later confused him every time. Slowly but surely their looks of hatred became almost scared. They scoot away from him, and if Iruka didn't know better, he would think that Naruto was almost giggling at them.

'Why haven't I talked to him yet? What is holding me back?' Iruka asked himself. Deep down though, he knew the answer.

He didn't want to face the reality that Naruto had changed.

The break, just as the trip, was uneventful. Iruka's prophecy came true as they came upon the the gigantic depression.

"Crater city is known for it's festivals. If we manage to finish this mission early we might take a day or two here." Iruka said before speeding down the side of the crater, the students following close behind.

"In case you are wondering: No, we will not take a break and rest at a hotel. A hunter has to be used to minimal amount of sleep during official missions. Now, let's split up. Ask around about the man and see if you find a trail. We will meet at the center of the town in an hour."

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 

"So this is the place, eh?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, this... This is where it h-happened." The woman said, a tormented look on her face.

"Hmm." Naruto went forward, looking through the place. It was at the edge of town, away from the main street that went through the village. As he looked over the place, he noticed it was quite easy to tell where people had been killed.

"Exactly where did he go?" Shikamaru asked, leaning down as he examined one of the deep gashed in the ground caused by the swordsman's weapon.

"He went west, but he seemed to go towards an old abandoned mine. His path just seemed too... Well, too determined." A man chimed in, holding the woman as she cried at his shoulder.

"What is this stuff?" Naruto mumbled as Shino closed in on him. Some kind of dark blue-ish sludge was scattered around the area.

"I don't know, but it's not poisonous, my bugs has already sampled it." Shino said, watching as Naruto dipped his finger in it.

"Neither hot or cold, yet it feels like water but acts like gel... Blergh! Tastes like shit too!" Naruto said, wiping the substance off at his clothes.

"Shino, can you get Iruka and tell him that we might know where he went? I know you have a bug on him." Naruto said, turning to Shino as he rose. With a nod the large-coated teen ran off towards a different part of town, noticing something along with his peers.

"Do you feel it?" Naruto said, looking around the place.

"Yeah, there's something in the air, something... Unsettling." The lazy nin answered, sitting on the ground as he played around with the goo.

Noticing that the sun just passed the edge of the crater, Naruto put down his hood as he turned towards Shikamaru.

"It's terror. They are deathly afraid that it will happen again. They are afraid of us too, since they most likely associate this man with a ninja due to his abilities."

His eyes narrowing, Shikamaru faced the whiskered blonde. "You know an awful lot about it I must say." He egged, once again feeling the anger he somehow ha acquired for the blonde rise in him.

"Ehh, felt it myself a few times, and seen it a lot more than one would think."

"Oh really, why?"

Naruto smirked, walking closer to Shikamaru.

"Alright, you wanna know it?" He asked, leaning close to Shikamaru. "Then you gotta earn it." He said, his smirk widening as he saw Shikamaru bristle. He caught the fist that was aimed at his face and sent his own fist smashing into the furious geniuses face, sending him flat to his back.

A grunt escaped his lips as Naruto stomped on his chest.

"What the fuck is wrong with you lately? What has gotten you so fucking angry at me, ehh?" He barked, grinding his teeth as Shikamaru averted his eyes.

Nothing happened the next few seconds, and Naruto was somewhat disappointed that Angmar didn't make one of his usual comments, but a moment later Iruka appeared with Shino right behind.

"What the heck's happening here?" Iruka said, watching Naruto take his foot of Shikamaru.

"What does it look like? Of course we are arguing." Naruto said, sneering at the rising body in front of him.

"We don't have time for your petty disputes right now, we have to track this swordsman down! The mine he is supposedly going to is a bit from town, and had been abandoned for years."

"May I ask why?" The bug-boy asked.

"There simply enough wasn't enough metals and minerals down there to make it worth it. It's a pretty narrow cave, so this man should have trouble swinging his sword in a lot of places there. Now get your act together and follow me." Iruka yelled as he ran away from the town.

Running after Iruka, Shino kept an eye on his two companions. For once it wasn't Naruto that made him nervous, but rather his quite ingenious partner. He watched him glare holes through Naruto's head while Naruto summoned his equipment from a scroll, ignoring the angry teen.

Not even 15 minutes later did they come upon the entrance of the mine.

"Shino, scout out the area, will you?" Iruka whispered, watching a few bugs fly past him and enter the mine.

"This guy was easy to trail I must say, leaving all that goo everywhere." Naruto mumbled as he sat casually on a branch, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Iruka nodded. "Which is why we have to be extra careful. It's a possibility that he led us here... Strange..."

"Hmm?"

"I'm a sensor ninja, which means that I am able to extremely easily track chakra signatures, yet I can't feel anyone else's chakra than ours..."

"He's not in the cave." Shino whispered.

"Where is he then?"

"About 200 yard that way and closing in slowly."

"Okay... Shikamaru, try and slowly inch your shadow at him. If you actually manages to catch him, then you Naruto shall push chakra through Shikamaru so the binding is empowered. Shino, you shall of course cover him in bugs. When he drops, I want you Naruto to end it... Everyone understand?" He got a nod in response, and a wary glance between Shikamaru and Shino, even though Shino's eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses.

The time went by slowly, and shortly they could hear the clinging of the armor he was wearing. Soon after he appeared, and the description matched almost perfectly. A person wearing armor from the olden era, black and blue in color while he dragged a black great-sword behind himself. Easily seven feet tall, and by the looks of it, his left arm was paralyzed by the way it simply hang lifelessly down. His breathing was labored, like he almost couldn't breath, and the way he walked, it looked almost like he was about to fall over any moment.

A few tense seconds passed as he walked under them. A moment later he abruptly stopped, where he also was covered in an insane amount of bugs.

The group smiled as their plan was working perfectly.

...That was until they noticed that he didn't fall over.

"He... He has no chakra." Shino mumbled, pure disbelief in his voice as the others stared at the man in shock. A moment later the man began shaking as a dark purple aura surrounded and swirled around him, making the strain on Shikamaru that much larger as sweat began pouring down his face while he tried to contain the man.

"IRUKA, TAKE HIM DOWN!" Naruto yelled as he did his best to help Shikamaru hold the man still, pouring and stabilizing his chakra the best he could.

Iruka speed down, but right before he managed to plunge his kunai through the mans head the purple aura exploded outwards, sending Iruka flying before he smashed through the tree the genin was standing in.

Jumping down from the tree, the genin prepared themselves against the man.

An inhuman roar emanated from him as he jumped into the air, barely missing Shino as his blade gouged itself into the ground. With another roar he yanked his sword out of the ground, then spun around before hitting Naruto's sword hard enough to send the boy several yards back. His hand hurt after that hit, but he had to dodge out of the way again as the blade was stuck in the tree at the spot his head was a moment ago.

Quicker than anyone could see Iruka ran out of the debris and kicked the armored man hard in the head. The man barely flinched though, and Iruka barely avoided the same fate that had befell the town's people. A moment later he sped towards Shikamaru, trying to skewer him, but failing as Naruto smashed his blade at the top of the mans sword, making it stab the ground right in front of Shikamaru instead.

Once again he roared as he swiped upwards, barely missing the two boys before smashing his sword straight into Naruto's sword, sending him flying as he lost grip on his sword, hearing it shatter as he saw the flat edge of the blade hit the stone wall of the mine. He expected to hear a scream of rage from the being in his head, but once again, nothing, which somewhat disturbed him.

Not going to miss this chance the man once again threw himself forward, once again trying to skewer someone. His attempt this time was foiled by the reason that he found himself unable to move again, the blade mere centimeters from the boys chest.

"NARUTO, NOW!" Shikamaru yelled as he and Shino poured all their chakra through the jutsu, Iruka standing not far away, using a stronger version of the earth technique that he used against his students a month ago.

Not missing his chance he took out his dagger, jumped on the blade and skewered it through one of the small slots in the helmet, piercing the mans brain.

A moment ensued where nothing happened, and then he shook Naruto off. He dropped his blade and grabbed his head, the first human-sounding scream emanating from him as a light covered him. A moment later he disappeared, leaving nothing but ashes where he once stood, and the hilt of Naruto's dagger, the blade somehow destroyed. Even the sword disappeared, which somewhat disappointed Naruto.

With a sigh Iruka stood up from his crouched position and swiped his hand through his hair.

"Definitely a B-rank mission." He mumbled before smiling, happy that everyone in his team survived, albeit barely.

He looked over to Naruto, noticing him frowning at the two hilts in his hands before sighing and storing his broken blades inside his scroll.

"Don't worry Naruto, we'll find new swords for you."

"I hope so, for my main skill is pretty much gone 'til I get a new one."

"Sensei, exactly where did the body go?." Shikamaru asked.

"Some people have a technique or seal ready in case they die, just to ensure that we won't be able to garner any intelligence from them. It is most likely this that happened. Even if it's wrong, he simply enough could not have survived that." Iruka reassured Shikamaru, somewhat soothing the teens nerves

Clapping his hands Iruka got the attention of his students.

"Great job everyone. You got through this situation pretty well all things considered. You now see what happens when everything goes right and wrong at the same time, which is why a diverse mind is essential for being a ninja. Let's go back to Crater Town and tell everyone that their problems are gone. We'll rest at a hotel there and report back to the Hokage tomorrow." He said as they began their rapid trek back to the town.

The trip was silent as everyone was in their own mind. Shikamaru went through the battle in his head, Shino talked to his bugs, and Naruto mourned the loss of his weapons.

Iruka sighed.

'This team is way to quiet.'

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 

The villagers were happy, If a bit hesitant to celebrate the death of a man. It just seemed a bit controversial too them to celebrate the death of a man when they just lost several people.

The night, just as their travels was uneventful. They left early in the morning without saying goodbye, intent on reporting to the Hokage before the day was over. They used the same route they used to get to Crater, and stopped at the same place. They came upon the massive wall of Konoha, tired and dirty, and ready to take the rest of the day off. After a quick check to see if they were under an illusion they were sent through the gate, and barely five minutes later they were in front of the Hokage.

"Hmm, you have always been one of the fastest persons to write reports Iruka." Sarutobi said as he read the scroll in front of him while he smoked his pipe.

"Thank you lord Hokage."

"Hmm... A mysterious purple aura... But since his arm was paralyzed that seems unlikely... It's sad that the body destroyed itself, but I will congratulate you all for completing a mission that was clearly of higher rank than at first expected. You're dismissed."

"Thank you lord Hokage." Iruka said again as he bowed, leaving the office with his three students.

"Ahh, Naruto. If I may speak with you for a moment."

"With an almost unheard sigh Naruto turned around and faced the old man.

"What's up?"

"What is up is that I haven't talked to you in over a month. Sit down now and tell me how everything's going." He said, smiling as he motioned to the chair beside him.

"Ehh, nothing much has happened. I have trained, done some missions, the villagers are the same cretins that they have always been, the usual." He said, shrugging while standing rooted to his spot in front of the table.

Sarutobi frowned.

"Now Naruto, you must understand that-" "Yeah yeah, they have lost loved ones and blablabla. Let me tell you something; The people in Crater City also lost loved ones, yet they didn't hate the man who murdered their loved ones like the villagers are hating me. Sorry old man, but right now I don't give two shits about the villagers, and I would probably laugh if they all died."

"But you don't know how it is to lose someone Naruto!"

"... You're right, that is because I never had anyone close to me in the first place, and you know what? I somewhat like it. At least I won't act like the sheep that walk the streets."

"You know that is not what I meant Naruto." The Hokage said as he sighed.

"I know, which is why I kinda hate you right now." Naruto said before leaving, the old man unable to muster the will to stop him.

"And yet, I feel that you hate everyone more than you are willing to show." Hiruzen said to himself before lighting his pipe again and taking a drag.

"But I wonder... Was that man a Jinchuuriki, or something else?"

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 

It was night in Konoha, and Naruto had finally decided that going to bed might not be such a bad idea.

He had been sleeping for a few hours before sensing movement in his apartment. As he opened his eyes, his body became rigid while his breath hitched.

There, in front of him stood none other than the knight he had killed the day before. There was two things that was different though Naruto noticed through his shocked mind. For one, his helmet had a dark streak running down the cheek, emanating from the same area he had stabbed him.

The second thing he noticed was a new creature. Grey in color with a darker stripe across its face, it was taller than Naruto, and with yellow eyes that resembled human eyes somewhat. In its mouth was a scroll, and sticking out of the scroll was a sword.

The man looked down at the wolf and petted its head before pointing towards Naruto. The wolf walked forward as Naruto sat up in his bed, his legs swung to the side.

The wolf lowered its head, and understanding what to do, Naruto grabbed the scroll and sword, noticing that this sword was heavier than his last one.

The wolf walked back to the man, and after another round of petting, they both sank into a dark-purple void, disappearing without a trace.

After re-booting his mind, Naruto looked down at the sword in his hand. It was about the same length as his old sword, but the blade was shorter while the handle was longer. The blade itself was a bit wider than his old sword, and it had a strange blue hue. Through the entire length of the blade was a small line of iron. The handle-guards were shorter, but they curved a bit upwards. The handle was made of iron and leather, and the end was formed like a crystal, yet was made of iron too.

Trying out a few swings, Naruto quickly noticed that he had to get used to the new weight before he could use the sword as effectively as his old sword.

Putting the sword inside the hiding-spot on the floor, Naruto opened the scroll. The scroll was blank except for two square spots. One of them had a strange writing style that he had no idea how to read, and the other was empty.

"Is that... blood?" Naruto asked himself. Deciding to try, he bit his own thumb, and with a quick flash of inspiration, he wrote his own name. This scroll, just like the scroll he found his equipment in began to emanate light, but this time it was a brilliant silver light. After a moment of being blinded he noticed that the scroll was gone, and in its place was a small black crystal with a ring at the tip

"Well... That was interesting."

Quickly walking over to his desk he rummaged through the cupboards before finding a long, thin chain. After intertwining the chain after inching it through the ring, he put it around his neck before going back to bed.

Holding the crystal, his eyes moved over to the spot where the knight and wolf disappeared.

"I wonder... Who are you?"


	4. A plan in the making

**AN: I AM STILL LOOKING FOR A BETA-READER! ANYONE WILLING TO TRY? CAN YOU GUYS AT LEAST POINT OUT MISTAKES IN MY SPELLING AND GRAMMAR PLEASE, BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVE SEVERAL MISTAKES! THANKS!**

**This chapter came a bit late because it was holidays. What? I wanted to eat caaaaaaake, and I love my mothers cake, so yeah. It's a bit short too, but it simply enough didn't need to be longer.**

**MYSTERIOUS KNIGHT WILL BE SPOILED! And a quick shout-out to The Binding Of Isaac's Soundtrack for being awesome and inspirational.**

**HAPPY WHATEVER AND LET'S BEGIN!**

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It was night in Konoha, and everyone had gone to sleep... Well, almost everyone, and one man in particular, even if he went to bed, would most likely not manage to sleep.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the man also known as the third Hokage has always been seen as a wise man. Yet, despite this renown, many stupid and cruel decisions was made. The first was that he didn't stop the second Hokage from walking to his death, the second was to let Orochimaru escape, the third was to ignore his now only loyal student, the fourth was to let the information about the Kyuubi leak out, and his latest decision led to the decimation of the Uchiha clan.

In his own mind, what he would do next would probably lead to some devastating conclusions, one way or another.

"Get me Danzo." He called to no one, yet the shadows seemed to shift ever so slightly in the room.

It didn't take long. In contrast to a certain other ninja, Danzo has always been obsessed with being on time.

"What do you want Hiruzen?" He asked in his normal narky tone, his one eye glaring daggers at the old man in front of him.

"Sit down, we have something to discuss." He said seriously, showing Danzo that right now, his petty rivalry was not to be tolerated.

He raised an eyebrow, but followed orders.

"I have nary seen you in such a mood. What is happening?" Despite his spite for the man in front of him, and his intense will to become Hokage, he could not deny that the third has lead the village to prosperity before and after the fourth.

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair while he took a drag from his pipe. He slowly blew out the smoke before setting his eyes on Danzo.

"I need information about a certain individual. I know you have someone following him inside this village, so your information is more up to date than my own. I have a feeling you know which person I am talking about."

"Hmm..." The cripple said as he closed his eye. "And what do I get in return?"

"...What about... The only evidence I have, and the only evidence that I need to prove that ROOT still exists, while at the same time able to pin you as the main factor of its resurrection."

"...Agreeable."

Both men reached into their robes, and despite the fact that there was no pockets in there, they both took out a envelope filled with papers.

"It seems like you finally caught on when it comes to his recent... changes, I bet we can call it that."

The third sat back in his chair with a sigh as he opened the envelope, looking at the bunch of papers inside. The picture of the hooded blonde made a frown enter his face.

"Danzo... In the forest, after Naruto had stolen the scroll and before Iruka found him, do you know what happened?"

The bandaged man paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"The boy has always been excellent when it comes to stealth and evasion. My man did not know his location during the theft, nor after it. For once, I am just as lost as you."

"... Danzo... Do you think that I ever have to issue THAT order?"

"... It's strange. Before, when he was weak and useless I would most likely have said no. He might have been useless, but he was still loyal. NOW on the other hand... To be honest, I cannot give you an answer yet. He seems to have somehow annoyed his team-mates, yet he is still fond of his sensei. A brotherly relationship between a student and a sensei often determines if one are loyal or not... That is, of course, if you aren't using my way." He ended with a smirk.

"I denied you back then, and I deny you now... Danzo, if you keep me informed of everything Naruto does, then I will consider sending missions to you and ROOT."

Sarutobi could see his old rival and friend consider this. That Danzo even had to think about it told him just how much his spy was worth to him.

"... It is a deal, but we shall discuss the amount and what missions tomorrow. If I may take my leave?" He asked, rising from his chair after the nod from his leader.

"Danzo." He stopped at the door.

"... If it comes down to it, you and Tenzo will be the ones to stop Naruto."

"Why me?"

"Please, do you really think that I do not know about your little transplants? Now leave, I have to finish up here."

Shocked out of his mind, Danzo just gave a curt nod before he walked out.

'How did he know?'

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"What's this?"

Another month had passed. As the summer slowly made way for autumn, the weather became colder as the leaves on the trees turned yellow. Still, since it was in Fire-country, the temperature was still quite hot, the only major difference being the somewhat shorter days.

All the teams that had initially passed their Jounin's test, Team 7, Team 8 and Team 10 that is, had all matured a bit, though it seemed like Team 7 had matured the most.

At the start of the second week of the last month, Team 7 had been on their first C-rank mission, something that the resident Uchiha had anticipating. They were also the team that latest got a C-rank, so it was somewhat understandable that Sasuke thought they were cuddling him since he is 'The last Uchiha', which, in retrospect, actually held back the entire team.

It was a bit unclear what had happened during that mission, but apparently the client had lied, and it was quickly surmised that it was a B-rank, if not a low A-rank mission, befitting a jounin leading a squad of Chuunins.

They had met a man named Momochi Zabuza, a man who apparently was bordering on being a S-rank ninja. He was known as 'The demon of the hidden mist' thanks to a story about him butchering the entire graduation class. The later coup d'etat against the third Mizukage certainly didn't help his reputation.

According to Chouji, Sasuke had meet Zabuza's apprentice, a young androgynous girl named Haku. For some reason, Sasuke took her death pretty hard, for once brooding not like an angsty wannabe-murderer, but like a normal, heart-broken teenager would.

For some reason, after Sakura saw how Sasuke acted towards Haku's death, she had become really quiet, eerily so. Chouji had tried to get Ino to talk to her since, after all, despite their rivalry they are friends. It was no luck though. The pink-haired genin had apparently just ignored her blonde friend

"What? You lost the ability to read Naruto?"

The aforementioned boy couldn't help but smirk at his teacher.

"Wouldn't be much difference now, would it?" Shino asked, gaining a chorus of laughter from his team-mates.

"Chuunin-exams... What a drag. What do you guys say? Wanna flaunt what we can?" Shikamaru asked as he laid on the grass on their training ground.

"That depends. Will you be able to stay awake?"

"Hmm, possibly. Just give me some chocolate and we are set."

Iruka couldn't help but smile. Despite their somewhat rocky start, his pupils seemed to get along greatly. It's strange, but it seemed like almost overnight the team changed. Shikamaru actually looked relaxed for the first time since the team was established. Shino seemed less prone of scowling, (Despite the fact that catching him scowling is kinda hard with his collar) And Naruto, despite the fact that he still hid under his hood seemed less cold.

Here Iruka's smile slipped a little. While he might be less cold, he was still nothing like how he was in the academy. Iruka had finally begun to realize that the bounding ball of eternal energy and happiness was gone, but then again, this Naruto wasn't so bad now, right? Right?

He didn't want to answer that question.

"Oy Iruka, you alright?" Naruto asked, waving his hand in front of his Sensei.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. I was just gone in my own mind for a moment." He said, sheepishly rubbing his neck as he smiled.

"Oh... Well, we're entering the exams. You have any idea what they're about?"

"Now now, I can't make it easy on you guys by telling you what it's about now, can I? If you want to know, then you have to find out on your own. Anyway, that is really all I had for you today, so I will just give this to the Hokage. See ya later." And with a quick wave, he poof'd away.

"Troublesome. You have any idea how we can get any info on the exams? I just know that my old man won't tell us anything. Gai might, but I doubt it." He said as he rose from his position on the grass.

"I know where to get the info, but god, do I have to do some ass-kissing." Naruto said as he massaged his face which held an annoyed expression.

"You guys just wait here, I'll go and be a 'nice and wonderful' brat." He said as he ran towards the Hokage's office.

It didn't take long before he got there. He saw Iruka walk away from the academy while talking to a black-haired woman which seemed to be dressed in somewhat glorified toilet paper.

"Man, and people say I had bad taste in clothes." He muttered as he walked along the corridors.

He stood in front of the door, and after a resigned sigh, he knocked on the door.

'Well, people say I'm a good actor. Let's see how good I really am.' He thought, lowering his hood as he entered the office.

"Ohh, Naruto... Hello." The Hokage said as he looked at the blonde boy.

"Hey..." The silence between them was probably the most awkward moment Naruto had ever had, if only because he was annoyed he had to do this.

"Look old man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I was just pissed about everything that was going on at the time. I-" The old man raised his hand, signaling that he wanted the boy to be quiet.

"It's okay Naruto. I think that out of everyone, you probably have the biggest right to be angry. Now, was there anything you wanted? You usually doesn't come here for nothing after all."

"Hehe, yeah, there was actually something I was wondering. Do you know what will happen during the Chuunin-exams?"

'Why am I not surprised... I think that, this time, I will play along.'

"There are three parts. A written test, a loyality test, and a physical 1v1 test. I will only say that the first test is about determination, the second is about following orders, and it should be pretty obvious what the third is about."

Naruto smiled, yet felt somewhat disgusted inside.

"Thanks old man, gotta go now."

As the boy opened the door again, the old man noticed something.

"Naruto... Have you been out in the sun enough?"

The boy turned around with a sheepish grin.

"No, not really. I'll try and be out more, but I gotta go now, so bye." And with that, the boy was gone.

'Strange... I feel like I have been tricked, but he looked so sincere... I'm getting to old for this shit.'

Just outside the academy waited his two team-mates.

"So, found out anything?" Shikamaru asked, sitting on a bench while staring lazily at some clouds.

"Yeah, the first test is a written test about determination. Dunno what that mean. The second test is about following orders, and the third is fighting, that's really what I got out of it."

Shikamaru sighed while muttering a low "Troublesome." While Shino simply nodded while listening to one of his bugs.

"Did you actually mean what you said?" The bespectacled boy asked.

"After what he said? Like hell I meant what I said! Right now he can rot for all I care." Naruto said, some of his old coldness seeping through.

"As expected." Shino said, fiddling with his glasses.

"Let's meet at the training ground In an hour, we probably need the last-minute practice. It's only a week until the exams after all." Shikamaru said as he drudged his way towards his house.

"Yeah, probably the smartest." Naruto said as Shino, once again, only gave a nod.

Training was always good, especially now.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**Master... There's something here." **The massive fox, formerly known as Kyuubi said.

One would believe that such an enormous creature easily could dispatch all his enemies with just a lazy swipe of his tail, and that is usually the case... This man though, this... Monster in human form...

Kyuubi once went under the name Balrog, and was under the servitude of an evil lord, a man whose power was unmatched, even by the Kyuubi. His form was different at the time, looking somewhat like a demented fire-monster from the pits of hell, not the almost-cuddle worthy, but still extremely dangerous fox he is now.

He was beaten though. Despite his terrifying visage and powerful attacks, he was killed by a man... No, a deity. The being was unnatural, above even life and death. He saw it, the transformation the 'Man' went through. If Kyuubi didn't know better at the time, he would almost think the man was a lich, a being above life and death, whose only method of dispatching would have been to be sealed away in a tomb, forever rooting as it's power was slowly drained.

But no, he was no lich. He was, in fact, almost an angel, which meant that he was just as boring as one.

But Kyuubi, just like the Grey-turned-white robed man didn't die. Sure, his physical body was destroyed, but how can one kill what is made of pure energy? His essence drifted away to limbo, where it stayed until he was forced out, combining together with eight other beings into a monster with the potential to destroy the world. They were sealed away, and later separated into nine being once more.

He had the same form then as he had now, the only difference being the size and age. He meet there a man who he could honestly say that he loved with all his technically unnecessary heart...

But that was in the past, an age long forgotten in the sands of time. Now he was sealed away inside a twat who actually somewhat reminded him of his once loved master... But then 'he' came...

There's a reason Naruto never had any problems with Kyuubi, and that is because of the simple fact that... Naruto reminded Kyuubi of the man he loved... he just couldn't bear to do anything against him.

Nostalgia is a strong emotion.

But this man... This corrupted, evil man is changing everything about the boy, and there is nothing he could do to stop this inhuman being.

"_Show yourself impudent being." _The Witch-king said, rising from the throne of fur, one of Kyuubi's cut-off tails.

He got his wish.

Slowly, tendrils made from the darkest shadow extended from the walls, ceiling and floor, slithering from the darkness of the sewers that was Naruto's mind.

"_Such evil power, yet it feels... How is this power evil, yet not corrupted?"_ The former king of Angmar asked himself, drawing the sword that Naruto managed to break.

A moment of silence ensued as the tendrils enveloped the room, then a beastly roar rang through the room. A moment later, a great-sword was imbedded through Kyuubi's tail at the exact location Angmar stood just a moment earlier.

"_You."_ He said as he watched the sword disappear in a void, being followed by the scraping of metal along the floor.

"_Abysswalker..."_

As he walked through the bars of the Kyuubi's cell, a familiar sight entered the massive space.

"_Angmar... How long has it been... About 4000 years?" _A raspy voice said, emitting from under the tall, armored man's helmet.

"_If I give or take a century I guess I'll be correct... It seems like I'm not the only one who has dabbled in black sorceries, or what do you say brother?"_

Summoning his flail, he took a pose that only one person had ever broken through.

"_You should have stayed in that undead realm weakling. I've slayed you before, and I can easily slay you again Artorias."_

"_Possibly, but then again, who is to say I went all-out against you last time? And do not think I am unknowing about that little spell of yours. I'm nothing more than an empty shell anyway, so technically I am no man anymore."_

Unknowing to Angmar, who had his back turned to the cage, was Kyuubi who was right behind the bars, staring at his so-called master hatefully. Slowly, while the two brothers continued to irk at each others nerves he raised one of his hand-like paws, and faster than even Artorias could see he smashed the Witch-king with all his strength, feeling the burning of the sword that pierced his hand.

"**Wretched being. You're just a human toying with power you can not comprehend. While you have the power to easily destroy me, it doesn't change the fact that your body is that of a human. In other words, you are frail." **The massive fox couldn't help the smirk that formed on his face as he felt the man writhe under his paw.

"_Well that was... Anticlimactic."_

"**What? You expect an epic fight every time something happens? He was stupid, let down his guard around me so he got what he deserved... I will not let this man corrupt this boy anymore."** The massive entity mumbled as a quick glint of light emanated from under his paw, the writhing hand that belonged to the evil person jerked for a moment before turning to ashes.

"**What are you planning now Abysswalker? What has that snake told you which made you appear here? This is simply too convenient." The fox said, fusing his cut-off tail back onto his body.**

"_I simply came here by my own violation. I sensed my brother in the boy, and I took the chance too end his life... But knowing my brother, he is still alive."_

"**That's well and fine, but you didn't answer my questions."**

"_And so it shall remain. So long Balrog, may we meet again in Limbo."_

As the void opened under him, the tendrils that covered the room entered it along with the man. A moment later, one of Kyuubi's tails smashed the area, but nary a moment too late as the man had already closed the hole, leaving but a watery floor.

"**What does he know? What is he not telling me? What has that big-toothed serpent predicted?"**

Kyuubi laid down on the watery floor. He felt drained, the wretched man feeding on his powers. For some reason, the sight of the abysswalker made his power over Kyuubi slip. He was silently thankful over the fact that despite his powers, his body was still human, and a human form the olden age for that sake. The old fox couldn't help but snicker at the fact that even the children of this age was stronger than a lot of adults back then. While it's mostly just the ninja-children who are stronger, they are still children, and he would love to see that old deity that had slain him fight against one of the children from this age.

"**Hmm, I wonder what happened to that man. Rumors in Limbo said something about him traveling to a foreign country together with the elves and that hobbit who had the... ring."**

His eyes widened exponentially as a memory resurfaced. He had seen that ring in recent memory. In fact, he saw the ring barely a month ago.

Why didn't he see what ring that was?

"**Abysswalker... You... You vile creature."**

An anger he hadn't felt in almost a century bubbled inside of him. A hate even stronger than what he held against Angmar, a hate stronger than even the wretched Uchiha managed to bring forth.

"**This was your plan all along wasn't it you slippery snake? Wasn't it you big-toothed worm. I won't let you, I WILL NOT LET YOU REINCARNATE THE DARK LORD! YOU SHALL NOT CORRUPT MY MASTERS SPAWN, YOU HEAR ME! I WILL RATHER DESTROY HIM THAN LET HIM TURN EVIL!"**

Forgetting the seal that trapped him, he released the hold on his powers. A literal wave of impure energy spewed forth from the gigantic creature, an energy so filled with hate that It would decimate an entire city in a moments notice.

That is when the seal acted. Chains spewed out from the ground and bound him while gigantic arcs of wood feel from the ceiling, trapping him as his entire body was bound to the floor, several arcs locking up his arms, legs, and all his tails, while another arc secured his head.

A short silence ensued after this, and the a roar of not just hatred, but of pure anguish and despair came from his mouth.

He had failed his master. He had failed his spawn.

He failed the only being he had ever loved.

"**Please someone, anyone, bring the boy to me. Kami, yami and everyone else, I beg of you... Please, don't corrupt the boy..."**

"**Please..."**


	5. The best laid plans of mice and men

**AN: AAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH! MUST... RESIST... MAKING... NEW... STORIES... MUST... RESIST... WRITING... BULLSHIT... GACK!**

**AND GOD DANG IT DEVIANTART, STOP MAKING ME WANNA SHIP PAIRINGS!**

**In this chapter, I will manipulate time and events. Why? Because I can. I will also add an element to Naruto that will be explained later, so don't fret.**

**From now on, my scene-change line will be a permanent and boring one... Did I trick you? Good, because that will never happen!**

**LET'S START!**

-Scene-

The day had finally come. This was the day that any genin throughout the elemental countries who had any talent has been waiting for.

The chuunin exams had finally started.

"What a drag."

All was not roses and confetti though, and one Shikamaru Nara portrayed that perfectly. Despite the fact that he had never been more fit, he was still the most sore he had ever been at the same time.

"Oh shut it Shikamaru. You're going to enter, no matter if I have to drag you all the way or not."

One Naruto Uzumaki on the other hand was getting quite annoyed at one of his team-mates. During the whole week of training, the lazy genius had done nothing more than moan, complain and muttering that damn phrase of his. One would think that after his first kill he would have become more active, but somehow he had become even lazier!

Either this was his way of coping, or his brain short-circuited after his first taste of blood.

Dear god no, It's bad enough with a lazy genius. A lazy retard I WILL kill during this test.' He thought, an evil smirk stretching across his face which, of course, was unseen under his hood.

At least he had managed to change his lazy team-mates wardrobe a tiny bit. His clothes was mostly the same, except that his jacket now was longer, covering his entire torso while being of a dark-grey color. Shino had also changed a bit, but it was mostly just a darker trench-coat. Naruto didn't even have to force them, Iruka had basically demanded it, saying that they will be doing a lot more night-time mission later, so a darker wardrobe would be the best.

Shino only sighed as he listened to the two, silently following Naruto as they entered the academy.

For some reason a lot of people had cramped up the corridor at the second floor. Pretty strange, especially since the exams were located on the third floor.

Ascending the stairs, they found themselves on the third floor, and an annoyed Nara sighed.

"Retards, can't even count how many floors they have ascended."

"What'cha mean?"

"Didn't you read the sign? It said third floor while we still were on the second floor. Those idiots can't even see through extremely simple illusions... Maybe this is going to be easier than expected."

"Or it will be harder, since all the better teams just walked straight up." Shino chimed in, puncturing Shikamaru's bubble while Naruto smirked at the prospect.

"You're finally here I see." Iruka said, leaning on the wall just outside where the exams were supposed to be held.

"A good ninja comes neither early nor late, but at the exact time." Shino said, his monotone voice sounding somewhat cool for once.

"True, but a good ninja should also be ready to act no matter the timing." Iruka refuted, earning a nod from the students without hoods.

A silence ensued, and it was quite clear Iruka was nervous about them.

"Iruka, calm down. We'll be fine." Naruto said, somewhat calming Iruka.

"I know, but... Just... Just don't go overboard, okay?"

"No promises." The blonde said too Iruka's increasing dismay.

As the students went past the teacher, Iruka couldn't help but worry. For some reason though, his fears was less towards his own students, and more towards those they will meet.

'I wonder... Did Naruto notice that it was directed towards him?'

Iruka's internal problems were totally lost on the students as the doors closed behind them. A cozy group of over a hundred wannabe chuunins had turned around at the sound of the door opening and was now glaring murderously towards them.

"I expected more." Naruto muttered as he lead the way towards a corner, his team-mates glancing questionably at each other as they heard that.

"He's actually right. That was somewhat tame, even if they're only genin." All Shikamaru got out of that was a silent "hmm" from his high-collared team-mate.

"Something's sucking the intent out of the air... My bugs can't locate the exact source, but there's a strange chakra in the air."

"Shit, just like that man we fought a while ago. Naruto, we-" As he glanced towards Naruto his breath stopped short for a moment.

Throughout the past months Shikamaru and Shino had become quite good at reading Naruto's mood, which was somewhat necessary since they had problems seeing his face. They could notice his limited happiness, they could feel his anger, and they had gotten used to his coldness.

This though, this was something different.

Unseen because of his unnatural hood, a smile had stretched across his face. This was no normal smile though, no. A grin filled with blood lust, hidden from the world, and the only sign being the waves of pure malice that almost literally reeked from him.

"I can't wait... To beat the living shit out of them." He whispered, turning towards his companions as he lowered his hood, almost making the shadow-user take a step back.

"What do you say, wanna spill some blood today? Come on, just like that time." He directed at Shikamaru, his arm stretched and his hand clenched into a fist.

That sentence seemed to hit something within the boy as he turned his face towards the wall with a pained grimace.

"Killing is not something one should be proud of Naruto. One simply enough can NOT like killing, I mean... How can one like taking someones life?"

"And why shouldn't we? They deserved it, and you know it. Why shouldn't we like killing the scum of the earth that would basically do everything to get their petty pleasure." He leaned closer to the pained genius.

"And don't say you didn't get a slight thrill from it? Your shadows seemed to like it at least." His grin turned into a smirk as Shikamaru opened his eyes to glare at him.

"Not everyone's like you. Not everyone has stopped feeling regret."

"Ohh, I still feel regret, just not towards scum."

A moment later, several columns of smoke appeared at the end of the room, revealing several ninja's. Just in time too as Shikamaru was a moment from trying to murder Naruto, and it also halted Team 8 who almost had gotten to them.

"Pipe down you brats!" A heavily scarred man who looked somewhat like a bear shouted.

"I'm Ibiki, and I'm the proctor of the first exam. Welcome to hell."

-Scene-

"What an useless test, a waste of my time. You guys have any idea what one can do during an hour?"

"For once I agree with you; That test was just... Troublesome."

This was what ran through the mind of basically everyone that had passed the first test. It was a written exam where they didn't have to answer a single question, they only had to sit through it until it ended.

"I mean... Fucking hell, 'You must be ready to sacrifice everything for the mission.' No shit! Any ninja that doesn't know that should be freaking kicked out of the force immediately!"

Being loud is something Naruto rarely was anymore, so hearing him yell like that was shocking for his team-mates... Or it would have been shocking if it wasn't for the fact that they were somewhat pissed themselves and actually agreed with Naruto.

With an annoyed sigh, Naruto turned his head towards Shino. "Are they out?" He whispered as they were closing in on the next location for the next exam.

"Of course." He nodded. "And the supplies are ready." He added, pushing the glasses further up his nose.

"Good. Once we get in you get started, and we will agree on a location to meet at. Remember that no matter what, you HAVE to be at the location within 12 hours."

Shino's bugs had showed themselves to be more useful than expected. They were nigh impossible to spot, and if they didn't feed on the victims chakra, impossible to feel, which made them quite invaluable for scouting and information gathering.

For some reason, despite the fact that Iruka knew about it, he never removed the bug that Shino had planted on him. This proved to be quite useful since they managed to gather some pretty interesting information.

Their next exam would take place in training ground 44, also called The forest of death. (This was confirmed by the second proctor Anko) Apparently they had to get to the middle of the forest where a pretty huge tower stands. The catch was that they had to get two scrolls, a heaven scroll, and an earth scroll.

The only problem was that they didn't know the time-limit of this test, but hopefully that would be answered by the proctor who screamed at everyone to shut the hell up.

"Alright maggots, welcome to the second exam! Now, before we start I have to make you sign this."

"What's that?" Kiba asked, looking as arrogant as ever while Hinata glanced over at Team 10.

'Is that?' The shy girl thought as she stared upon the hooded individual of the team. She hadn't seen her love for almost three months, yet he seemed so different despite the fact that she couldn't see his face.

'He looks so... So prideful, so strong and confident... But why am I so afraid of talking to him? Why do I feel that he is dangerous? Why do I fear him?'

'What the?' Ino thought as she followed the shaking girls line of sight. 'Naruto? But why does she seem so afraid of him?'

"Kiba." Ino whispered at the dog-boy. "I think we should change target. Let's find someone else than Naruto's team."

"What? Why?" He said as he, along with Ino stared at the miss-fit team.

"Because Hinata is scared of Naruto."

"Afraid of... Akamaru, sniff them out!"

"What will that help?" The platinum-blonde asked, staring at the little dog as it barked at it's owner.

"Akamaru has a rare ability even for our clan. With just a single sniff he can gauge the enemy's strength and chakra... And I think you're right for once. Let's keep away from them, there's something weird about not just Naruto, but the entire team, and I really don't wanna know what that is."

While the two of them had whispered at each other, Hinata had signed all of their forms, knowing that her team-mates wouldn't back out, and neither would she.

"Five days to get one scroll? Man, I hoped it would be harder." Shino simply shook his head at the blonde.

"One's wish doesn't always get fulfilled."

"Pretty crude map she had. Could have sworn the forest was larger though." The pineapple-headed one in the team said, hoping to get the test over with as fast as possible so he could sleep.

As they got their scroll, an earth scroll, they quickly agreed that Shikamaru would be the one to bear the scroll. They, just like everyone before and after them was led to their respective gates.

Being bored while waiting does strange things to a persons mind. It usually doesn't end well, and when you philosophize about the eventual death of man-kind, one might have let certain individuals wait a bit too long.

"She's staring at you, you know." An extremely familiar monotone voice said as it broke the silence.

"So I've noticed. I kinda wonder why."

"Hmm. If I had to make a guess, I would say that she adores you." Shino, being one who never cared much for secrecy within the team said, earning a double-take from the hooded blonde.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. That's what I think, nothing else."

"Adores me, ehh?" He muttered, stroking one of his cheeks with a finger as he stared at the petite girl as she walked past with her team, her face turning red as she noticed the hood move with her own movement.

A minute later the proctor from before yelled something the examinees both anticipated and feared.

"THE SECOND EXAM HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!"

-Scene-

It had barely been 15 minutes, and yet there had been several screams of despair already.

"Man, some people just suck." Naruto muttered as he sat on the ground, watching Shino slowly but surely writing a much more detailed map of the area. Not that he didn't enjoy the screams, it just seemed to early for his tastes.

His team-mate's bugs were truly a wonder sometimes. Resilient to most climatic changes like deserts, rain, snow and more, able to drain a large amount of chakra, being almost impossible to locate, and with an able Aburame (Which Shino thankfully was) they are perfect scouts.

Silence reigned in their little hiding spot as a random bug occasionally returned to Shino, which made him draw the map more and more detailed. Really, if it wasn't for the fact that they could be killed incredibly easily, Naruto would almost have wished he was an Aburame himself.

Just almost though.

"That should be good enough." Shino whispered to no one.

"Okay." He said, raising his voice. "The fence is a perfect circle with a diameter of 20 kilometers. In the middle stands the end-location: The tower. East of the tower, running through the entire forest is a river. There are several caves along the river which my bugs are checking out as we speak. The west-side of the forest has a much denser fauna, but can be considerably safer to rest at since it's away from the water."

"Now Shikamaru, if you would?" He said as he put two other scrolls over the first scroll.

As Shikamaru leaned over the papers he went through a quick series of hand-seals.

"Secret technique: Shadow duplication." He muttered under his breath, barely touching the top-paper with his hands. At first it seemed like it failed, but slowly, the map that Shino had made appeared on the paper.

"You guys should really memorize the map, I am unsure just how long this technique lasts. Shadows are finicky, and are often quite hard to predict."

As Shikamaru stood up after finishing the technique, he felt something cold and sharp pressing against his throat. Looking over at Shino, he could quickly see why.

"Maps, eh? My, this will be useful." The one behind Shikamaru said.

'Mist ninjas.' Shikamaru thought.

"My my, someone from the bloody mist. How exciting." The blonde said, his hood having been pulled back by his captor.

"Kinda sad we have to kill a cutie like yourself blondie, but whatever." His captor said, the teen and her team-mates slitting their throats at the same time.

"Heh, too easy." The one who held Shikamaru muttered.

A moment later, a sword fell on his head, instantly killing him.

"WHAT THE-" Her scream instantly stopped as she felt her body freeze up, invisible hands choking her. As she looked over to her remaining team-mate, all she could see was an enormous amount of what looked like bugs cover something remotely human.

A moment later she felt her neck snap, then she felt nothing.

"Not a bad plan Shikamaru." A familiar voice said a moment later, three figures appearing from the trees.

Something between a grunt and a sigh escaped from him as he stared upon the dead girl.

"Why did it have to be a girl?" He muttered to himself, looking away from her corpse as he instead shifted his gaze towards where the other two was.

"You've become quite good with the earth clones Naruto. I find this somewhat ironic since you had no talent with clones in the academy." Shino said as he picked up the maps, distributing the pieces of papers between them.

"What can I say? Doing the illusion clones are kinda like fitting an ocean through a straw, which is pretty much not possible."

"With enough patience it's possible, but I see your point."

"Nice, a heaven scroll." Naruto said after he rummaged through their victims inventory.

"We should get to the tower as fast as possible, but I have a feeling the direct route is going to be... Tricky. It's apparently quite common during tests like this that a good chunk of the teams basically make a large perimeter around the finishing goal. What a drag." He hated being smart sometimes. Being ignorant almost looks like less troublesome... Almost.

"There really aren't any other path's than straight through though." Naruto muttered as he cleaned the blood from his sword.

"That... May not be entirely true." His surprise was unfathomable by the fact that he didn't hear any snapping necks. Seriously, they turned their heads so fast that he didn't even register it.

"Close to the fence, a small distance from the river is a cave. The bugs that explored the area found nothing of interest until they sensed chakra from a wall, which revealed a genjutsu wall. There's a tunnel there, leading to some kind of room. Past this room is another tunnel which leads to another cave, and this cave is about 500 meters away from the tower."

"A tunnel... But still, that cave is probably used by at least one team... But then again, if there is a genjutsu at the other entrance too, then we can use it for a surprise attack." The pineapple-headed genin said, ignoring the smirk from his colder companion.

"We started from a southern gate, so it isn't that far. Let's go now, before someone gets to the cave before us."

-scene-

"This is not good."

They now understood why the tunnel was hidden; the entire thing was a freaking death trap. They had managed to avoid the few teams they had met along the way, and luckily enough, no one had used the cave yet.

Just to bad that the entire freaking place was unstable.

Shikamaru, being the second fastest on the team had reacted quicker than even Naruto expected, and managed to drag Shino with him. This, of course, meant that the team was now split up. Shino and Shikamaru on one side, and Naruto on the other side, which meant that he had to go through the forest now.

This was all well and dandy, if not for the fact that Naruto still weren't as strong as he hoped. A decent team with a somewhat functioning team-work between them could easily take him out if he wasn't careful. This really only left him with one alternative: Stealth.

Finding Naruto had never been easy. After all, being able to paint the Hokage mountain without anyone noticing before he yelled as loud as he could somewhat spoke of his abilities of not being seen.

Of course, not even Naruto was perfect, something which he now cursed himself for.

'It's bad enough with the rain ninjas, but how the hell did they manage to get a truce with the ones from mist?'

Naruto was strong, he knew that, but not strong enough to take down six ninjas at the same time. Sure, they were only genin, but so was Naruto. Sometimes, rank doesn't mean anything.

So he did the only smart thing: He ran. He knew he was running the wrong way, running west while passing up the tower entirely. If he was lucky, he might lose them, but for some reason, he didn't believe it.

"FUCK!" He yelled as he dodged several kunai that exploded. These were good, seems like the mist-team was trackers.

Seeing as one of his sleeves caught fire he threw of his jacket, cursing the fact that he lost his only protection against being blinded.

At least the trees were a pretty good cover.

'This is not good, are there no leaf-ninjas around?'

Like a breath of fresh air, a voice rang throughout the forest. He had heard that voice before, it belonged to that bowl-haired kid with the... eccentric personality.

'Fuck it, better than nothing.' And with that, after dodging another exploding kunai, he re-bounded towards the voice, now picking up another voice, this one female.

"Lee, just get out of here, You can't take them alone!"

"They're here too? This just gets better and better." He said as he speed through the foliage, jumping into the clearing.

The green-clad boy instantly turned towards the new potential threat.

"Who are you?"

Before Naruto could answer, the pink-haired girl that he would go as far as call his former love spoke up.

"Na-Naruto?"

"Hey Sakura." He said quickly before summoning his sword, taking position beside the enthusiastic teen.

"It seems you need help my friend."

"Yes, quite a bit too." If he was lucky, the recently arrived mist and rain ninja would attack the sound ninja. Sadly enough, that didn't seem to happen as the... mummified He had to call the teen, sound ninja told them that they could keep the scrolls.

"Shit. What's the situation about the sound nins?"

"They're strong, but also somewhat slow. They also has some kind of trick, something that extends the range of their taijutsu. What about them?"

"Hmm, the mist team is full of trackers, while the ones from rain love to use clones. None of them are particularly good at taijutsu though, and their aim with kunais are not as good as one would expect."

"Seems like I have no choice then. Let's switch fight: You take the ones from sound, I will deal with the other ones."

"Ya sure you can take them alone?"

"Yes." That simple word was said with such conviction that Naruto could help but smirk. He noticed the boy, Lee his name might be, rip of the orange cloth around his legs before also ripping of what seemed like weights. He put them on the ground before resuming his stance.

"They tried to kill Sakura's team." Lee mumbled, earning a quick glance from the somewhat pale boy.

"I won't begrudge you if you end their lives."

Somehow, when he saw the grin that stretched across the other boys face, Naruto as Sakura called him, he couldn't help but feel like he said something incredibly stupid.

An almost unnoticeable whisper entered his ear.

"Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those I had to kill because they pissed me off."

Yes, he concluded, that smile made him really nervous. Having a religious nut-ball as a partner was never the best that could happen.

'What the? When did he become religious?' Strangely enough, one Haruno Sakura had heard his little prayer, though how only she knew.

"May your lord have mercy, for mine is after blood."

Somehow, this didn't make her feel safe. If anything, she wanted to slink away for never to be seen.

Then all hell broke lose.


	6. Big-mouthed fools

**AN: Welp, I have now learned that 'Kunai' is both a singular and plural word. Good, keep up the nit-picking, for it's the only way I learn! QUICK LESSON! The word 'Maia' is singular while 'Maiar' is plural. Just saying this so no confusion arises.**

**Sorry for the late chapter, but I was busy, AND the chapter took longer than expected to write. It didn't flow well for a while. Anyway...**

**LET'S START!**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sakura couldn't believe it. Here, in front of her, stood two boys that she had made fun of, two boys she had seen as nothing more than a nuisance, two boys that were now ready to defend her, even if it meant they would have died.

Well, at least one of them was defending her.

By some unseen command, Lee ran off towards the trees where two of the enemy teams had decided to hide in. Naruto followed his lead and began sprinting towards the enemy. Then, at the half-way point, he raised his sword above his head before smashing it into the ground, a blue crescent blade being hurtled towards the female sound-member.

She had barely managed to dodge it before she heard another smash, noticing another curved blade being sent towards her. She dodged out of the way, though not without any damage.

A scream tore through the clearing as she held the stump that used to be her left arm. The mummified genin, hearing the scream, hesitated just a moment during his dash, giving Naruto ample time to rip his sword out of the ground.

"KIN!" The one with the spiky hair yelled before glaring at Naruto. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT! DECAPITATING AIRWAVES!" He screamed, thrusting his hands forward as airwaves were blasted out of his hands towards Naruto. The mummy barely managed to jump away in time, and Naruto, knowing he wouldn't be able to dodge in time, once again stabbed his sword deep in the ground, holding on as hard as he could.

"Zaku, be careful where you aim that thing!" The one-eyed teen yelled, glaring at the dust cloud where Naruto was.

"FUCK YOU DOSU, I'LL KILL HIM FOR DOING THAT AGAINST KIN!"He screamed, any semblance of self-control thrown out the window as he aimed his hands at where he thought Naruto was. "EXTREME DECAPITATING AIRWAVES!" A massive air-blast, almost three times the size of the last one were forced out of his hands, destroying everything in-front of him, almost hitting Sakura as she barely managed to dodge behind the massive tree she and her team were hiding in.

As the dust settled, Zaku stared at the broken form of his target.

"That's what you get you fucking piece of shit!" He sneered, feeling a bit drained after that last attack.

"ZAKU, WATCH OUT!" The girl warned him too late though. A sword broke out of the ground directly underneath him, entering through his nether regions before the tip exited through the top of his head. Only one thought ran through his mind.

'A clone'.

The supposedly dead blonde emerged from the ground, his lover body still underneath the earth. As he grabbed the sword, a powerful blow hit the side of his head, throwing him out of the ground while at the same time making him slip his sword.

If this wasn't bad enough, the punch was laden by some strange power, quite possibly destroying his inner ear as his vision blurred. He had never had a migraine before, but the headache he now had could quite possibly be classified as one.

The teen identified as Dosu slowly stalked towards him, inspecting his enemy's body. It seemed like Zaku's first attack had hit, as the boy was covered in several scratches while both his shirt and pants had rips in them. He also seemed to miss some hair. What was most prominent though was the blood pouring out of the boys right ear and nose. He understood the ear, but it seemed like the boy also managed to smash his face in the ground during his tumbling.

"You think you can just kill Zaku without paying? We'll see about that." He muttered before smashing his metal-covered fist into the boys back, earning a scream from the boy and possibly puncturing a lunge thanks to his sound-waves. The blonde coughed up some blood, his unfocused eyes glaring murderously at the mummy-boy.

"And now, you'll die." He said, raising his arm, ready to deliver the finishing blow. He would have finished it too, if it wasn't for the kunai that now stuck out from his arm.

"AUCK! What the-" He yelled, looking towards the tree where the pink-haired girl and her team resided. Speaking about the girl, she was now running towards him, a kunai in each hand with a surprisingly hostile look on her face.

She never managed to reach him though, for the moment he looked at her, a searing pain entered his stomach.

"**Are you praying for the final grace?" **A voice so guttural, so demonic that he barely could believe it entered his ear.

Without thinking he punched towards the voice, but his hand was pushed out of the way before another hand grabbed his face, and with a terrifying strength, smashed his head on the ground.

He stared up at the face of the presumably dying blonde, and the first thing that entered his mind was a demon. He didn't care about the boys face, fangs or wilder hair, for it was the eyes that struck him. Those eyes, those inhuman windows to ones soul. He had only seen one other person with such eyes, and even them seemed more passionate.

He never thought he would meet anyone with eyes more terrifying than his masters.

"**Now scream for the world today." **The demonic boy muttered, putting special emphasis on the word scream.

He felt the boy grab his head tighter as a grin spread across the blondes face. Strangely enough, despite the fact that the smile chilled him to his bones, he was surprisingly calm despite knowing that this is where he would die.

Pushing the boy harder into the ground he suddenly shot off, ripping apart the ground as he literally tore the boys head away, bit by bit. He felt the torment and agony from the teen as a silent scream filled what could be seen of his face, which was only an eye.

Dosu had never felt such pain. He could feel his skin and flesh being ripped apart by the small rocks that was under the dirt. Then, when they closed in on the tree where Team 7 were hiding in, he simply stopped feeling pain. In fact, he only felt a certain emptiness within himself as his brain was being smeared across the ground, leaving a trail of blood and flesh wherever the blonde pushed him.

'So this is Nirvana.'

Dosu had never been a religious person, but even he believed in true tranquility. The peace he felt as the ungodly pain left his body was nothing more than bliss in it's purest form.

'I guess this isn't so bad.' And with that last thought, Dosu closed his eye, never to be opened again.

Naruto wasn't finished though as he lifted what remained of Dosu up, spinning around before throwing the dead teen at the massive tree, crushing what was left of the head and disfiguring parts of the body.

As Naruto stared upon the body, his smile receded too a blissful one as he fell to his knees, some blood leaking from his mouth.

"Beautiful." He whispered before collapsing, closing his eyes as he left for the world of dreams.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Off all the times he could have shown up, it had to be now?"

The old Hokage couldn't help but sigh in utter frustration at the recent development.

His first problem was Naruto. After having several discussions between himself and Danzo, after having read the reports of both the Root spy and Iruka, they had come to a simple, yet incredibly sad (For Sarutobi at least) answer. Naruto was insane, simple as that.

He didn't want to believe it, he COULDN'T believe it. How could the son of the late fourth Hokage, a man known for his compassion, turn out to be a...

To be such a bloodthirsty monster.

Iruka was renowned for many things, but his photographic memory, incredibly detailed reports and an uncanny eye for details might be what has made him somewhat famous among the ANBU in the village. He's also known as the only man capable of capturing Naruto after his many pranks.

It was with a heavy heart though that the old man read the report that Iruka wrote after almost-failed mission Team 10 had before the exams.

It must truly have been both a gift and a curse having Iruka's memory, for some of what he read there... He was reminded of the second world war by the sheer brutality, the pure... Well, he couldn't call the bloodbath anything else than demonic.

To be honest, there was only one part of the slaughter that forced him to accept the conclusion that Naruto had lost his grip on morality.

The mission was fairly simple, destroy a group of bandits before they managed to raid a specific caravan. They had succeeded, but just barely, them not having considered the fact that there might have been a larger group than anticipated.

The group had split up, defending different parts, but still Iruka had heard it. In the middle of the battle, Iruka had frozen for just a moment, not that it was dangerous for him when he fought against simple bandits, but the mere action signaled just how wrong what he heard was.

A laughter he had never heard before, a laughter so hollow, so deadly and so full of glee that even during the briefing, the man had to cover up a slight shiver.

"Come at me!" He had said. "Sacrifice yourself!" He had heard. "I want to feel your soul die!" Echoed throughout the battlefield.

Iruka had only managed to get short glimpses of the boy, but one thing was sure.

He had never before seen such a look of pure bliss on the boy than during that massacre.

His team-mates, the Nara heir and Aburame heir was already somewhat shook up from their last mission where they finally got their first kill, so seeing the aftermath really did not help.

Naruto though wasn't the only reason for his current migraine.

The Kazekage's son, Gaara of the sand, the container of Shukaku.

For many years, there had been a law put in place between the elemental nations that stated that never, under any condition no matter how grave or important was there to ever be more than one demon container in an exam.

This in itself didn't present the full problem.

He had heard certain rumors about the boy, and witnessing the boy in person, his suspicion had been confirmed. The boy was just as deranged as Naruto, possibly even more, since Naruto at least had emotions, no matter how morally and ethically wrong they might be from time to time.

Sarutobi feared the outcome of the eventual confrontation between the two vessels. Sarutobi had long since been updated about Naruto's strange energy beam that he could emit from his sword, a beam that could cut through rocks, and even some of the thicker trees littered around Konoha. The Shukaku vessel was rumored to never have been hurt before, that, coupled together with his insomnia, blood-thirst and uncontrollable behavior formed a simple conclusion inside the old mans head.

Best case scenario: Naruto would kill the boy and Shukaku would die with him. Bad scenario: Shukaku would be released. Worst case scenario: The Kyuubi would be released.

Sarutobi sighed as this realization hit him once again. The only reason Minato had managed to seal the beast at all was because the man was ungodly powerful. Sarutobi didn't possess that kind of strength anymore, and he quite possibly never had it in his prime either.

In short: The moment Kyuubi is released is the moment Konoha is doomed.

Once again the old man sighed as he watched his somewhat unreliable student enter the room through the window.

That mans former team-mate, Sarutobi's star pupil, Konoha's most hated enemy.

The snake sage Orochimaru had set foot inside the village once more.

The old monkey couldn't help but let a cruel, ironic smirk grace his lips. Here he sat, complaining about Naruto and Gaara when the man known as the very epitome of inhumanity walked around inside his village.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why the man had come. It was quite simple to figure out, especially since all that had met the man knew about his goal.

The man wanted to learn every jutsu in the universe. What can help him achieve this goal? One... Well, rather a pair of objects can make him reach this ambition faster.

The Sharingan.

"Took your time Jiraiya."

The aforementioned man scoffed at his teacher. The man was tall, far above six feet with a pretty muscular build. Wearing a horned helmet over his head with long, white, spiky hair, a mismatching outfit of different colors and wooden sandals, the man was quite a sight,

The Toad sage, the man who currently was the strongest ninja Konoha had, and the biggest pervert that had ever existed. It seems like every S-class ninja that walked around had to have at least one vice. Jiraiya was a super pervert, his wayward student Tsunade was an alcoholic and a chronic gambler, and his traitorous student was a sadist and had a fetish for jutsu.

Sometimes he wondered if fostering strong ninja was a good idea.

"Well excuse me, but you're not the one that had to sneak into the village to ensure that no spies could give the fact that I was here to Orochimaru."

The old man sighed again, gesturing for the tall man to sit down as he picked up his pipe.

"Yes, and I bet you did well. You and me both know what he is after, and I fear that he already had marked the Uchiha."

"It wouldn't surprise me. Orochimaru has grown more rash during his life, seemingly it's because he is realizing that his life is slowly coming to an end. Another ten years, and we will simply enough not be strong enough to use the strongest techniques in our arsenal."

"... Jiraiya, do you think it's possible that he might have finished _that_ technique?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. You know as well as me that he has always been fixated on immortality after his parents died... He never got over the shock."

Sarutobi sighed as he leaned back in his chair, taking a drag from his pipe. If he had succeeded in creating that vile technique, then his goal of mastering all jutsu was within his grasp. To change body, gaining the skills and bloodline of the new body while also retaining most of his chakra and strength. If he wasn't so afraid of such techniques and methods, then he would have applauded his slippery student for his creation.

"There is something else on your mind."

The Hokage raised an eyebrow at his student as the man shrugged. "I can easily read you."

*Sigh* "Yes, there is something that bothers me... As you might know, there are two containers in this exam."

"Yes, Naruto and that Gaara kid. How's Naruto doing by the way?"

Hiruzen couldn't help but close his eyes, refusing to let his sadness show just yet.

"The boy has grown stronger, looking more like his parents as each day passes. He, along with his team has gone through several C-ranked missions, and they have failed none of them so far, one of them was even a B-rank because of the abilities that one man possessed."

The toad sage whistled in slight respect. "Damn, a B-rank already? They must be damn good... But you know that is not what I meant by how he's doing."

He leaned forward. "I know that he has had his first kill by now. How did he take it?"

Once again the man sighed as he opened his eyes, his sadness finally showing.

"His first kill was the academy tutor Mizuki. That night he not only killed a man he believed he could trust, but he also learned about the Kyuubi from the worst possible source, that of a traitor that would do everything to kill him... According to Iruka, his teacher, the boy seemed quite shaken by the whole affair, but after recent development, I am beginning to reconsider that."

"Wait wait, hold on!" Jiraiya said, waving his arms. "Reconsidering what? Exactly what do you..."

A strange realization suddenly hit the man. "Don't say he has become a shut-in like the Uchiha?"

"If only it was so well." The mutter was barely audible, but the pure exhaustion in the voice told Jiraiya all he needed.

"You don't mean..." The man had never felt so bad before in his life. 'Please Sarutobi, please tell me you are only joking... Please, don't say that I have failed my godson.'

"Yes, it's exactly what you think." The man couldn't bear to see the face of his student when what he was going to say next left his mouth. He stood up and walked over to the window as he stared at the village he loved.

"Naruto has been deemed insane and a danger to both the village and himself. If we see no improvement in his condition by the time the chuunin exams are over, he will be stripped of his rank, his chakra will be sealed and he will be placed in a maximum security cell for the rest of his life."

A short silence ensued between the two. As the silence continued Sarutobi became concerned for his favorite student. It didn't take him long though to understand the silence as suddenly a small noise penetrated the air between them.

Jiraiya was, for the first time in many years, crying.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"**You... You despicable, wretched child! I'LL KILL YOU!"**

Such rage. The entity had not felt such pure hatred flow through him since the olden times, back when he was known as Balrog, a being basically made of fire and darkness, channeling pure malice to power himself.

This child, this vile little vermin had brought forth something which his love had managed to whisk away, something he was eternally grateful for.

"Heh, so you ARE afraid of this thing after all."

Naruto grinned as he stared at the constricted fox. Seems like the seal didn't like that the being flared it's energy too much, so it took appropriate measures and restrained the fox, basically locking down it's power until it calmed down.

"Tell me fox, what is so special about this ring?" He said as he held the object in front of his eyes, holding at the chain that he had attached the ring to so he never directly touched it.

"This thing has actually made me curious." The boy said after getting no answer.

"You are afraid of this thing, yet you will not tell me why. I can sense no power from it, yet it tried to control me, tries to manipulate me... Heh, as if I ever will call this thing my precious. I'd rather call my sword that." He said, studying the ring.

"Is this possibly a ring that a Maia had?" He whispered, barely audible to the fox, but the increased hostility in the fox's eyes told him that yes, this was quite possibly a ring of great power.

"So, care to tell me anything about the former owner?"

Silence.

"What about the knight that gave it to me, you know anything about him?"

"**... Artorias the abysswalker, a deceased man that deserves to get his soul tore apart for all eternity by the demons in the underworld."**

"Abysswalker... So that purple stuff he had around him was power from the abyss? Sounds awesome!"

Balrog snarled at the boy, his anger rising as the boy swung the ring around without a care in the world.

How could he let himself be tricked like that? How could he have been so blinded that he couldn't see through the blondes pitiful mask?

He had told the boy so much. Why couldn't he resist when the boy looked up at him with that broken look, the look of a lost child.

"_Who am I?"_ The child had asked, the meaning behind his words quite clear to the millennia old entity.

He had told him everything. He had told him about his parents. He had told him about his mothers lineage, and his fathers ancestors. His father, the descendant of the shieldmaiden that had slain Angmar the first time, and his mother, the descendant of an elf and a king.

How could he have miss-interpreted that look? It wasn't a look of happiness, It wasn't the look of peaceful pride and satisfaction. It was the look of a psychopath that had gotten exactly what he wanted.

"_What about you? I want to know you better."_

That boy, that child... He had sounded so earnest. The boy was the perfect actor, being perfectly able to mask his emotions and intentions, being fully capable of putting on any emotional mask he desired in a moments notice.

"_**It has been a long time since anyone cared to ask me about myself...Where to begin?"**_

"_**I am not a tailed beast, but rather a being called a Maiar. A Maiar is somewhat of a representative of the gods, or rather, the balance between good and evil that the gods are trying to uphold. My name is... I actually don't remember... The earliest name I can remember is Balrog, but even that is not my real name, rather the name of the being I took the form of at the time."**_

"_So you're saying there are more than one Maiar?"_

"_**There was several of us, but that time has long since passed. To my knowledge, I am the last living Maia, but I will not be surprised if the gods soon elect a new one... I was originally a Maiar of evil, a being of pure darkness that thrived of hatred and malice, spreading a miasma of death and decay wherever I went..."**_

"_**My physical body was destroyed in a battle against a Maia of light. Mithrandir, even in the form of a human he managed to defeat me, and he even escaped from deaths door somehow... I was not as lucky though, and I was dragged down to Limbo, but seeing as there now was an overabundance of holy Maiar I was dragged out again..."**_

Why? Why couldn't he tell that the boy was fishing for something. Why couldn't he see past that ridiculous charade? Why oh why was the boy a descendant of the man he once loved?

He had told the boy so much. How could this boy coax out so much from him when his former gate-keepers had failed at the same task? What was it that made the boy so... So mentally dangerous?

"**I will kill you."**

Such a simple statement, yet the conviction and finality in it made Naruto pause in his mental rambling. Naruto couldn't help but shiver in delight at the thought of having the same powers as this Artorias. Mix that together with the power of a Maia which was obviously hidden in the ring, and Naruto couldn't help but grin in delight.

"Kill me you say... I'd like to see you try."

"**The moment I block of my powers, you will die. You body has adapted to having my powers circulate through it, so the moment you lack my Youki, you will die."**

A moment of realization hit Naruto as his grin momentarily vanished, but soon a more predatory smirk formed itself.

"Heh... Really now, and you haven't done this yet, especially seeing how I am now? You can't do it, can you? The seal forces your Youki out of you, doesn't it?"

Naruto walked towards the cage, staring at the trapped being inside it.

"Admit it Kyuubi. behind these bars, you are powerless."

A sense of victory swelled inside Naruto as he watched the fox close his eyes in defeat...

That is, of course, until he heard the being chuckle.

"**Powerless? You really think I, a Maiar, is powerless just because of this seal? Me, a being of eternal power, is supposedly trapped and stripped of my might by some random human and his limited knowledge of the ancient arts? If not even the man elected as a god at his deathbed managed to permanently stop me, then what makes you believe this flimsy magic will tether me?"**

A small grunt of disgust left the fox.

"**I must be honest though and say that your father did a fantastic job, but I am not a Maiar just because of my physical power."**

"What do you mean?"

"**Heh, I have already said more than I should. Let's just say that the next time you lose control is the moment you die."**

'He can take over my body when I get pissed? Does that mean he is connected to my soul, somewhat like Angmar is?'

"I can't believe I didn't ask this before now. Where the heck is Angmar?"

As a sneer appeared on Balrog's face, Naruto noticed that he seemed to be clenching his right paw-hand in a strange way, almost like it was in pain.

'He didn't...'

"**That man is dead, and his soul is festering in hell like it was supposed to for all these years."**

He couldn't explain it, but the shocked face of the child made him momentarily confused. Why did the boy react in such a way? Surely the boy couldn't know about the mans Maiar status, so the fact that the fox had killed him shouldn't have been so shocking for the boy, so what was it?

**'Is it possible that the boy acted like he did to protect himself? Is it possible that I am mistaken?'**

Why? Why couldn't the boy be someone else? Why did he have to be his lover's descendant?

Kyuubi couldn't bring himself to harness ill will towards the boy.

Why did the gods torture him so?

"Hehehe..."

What?

"Hehahahahaha."

It was official, the boy had snapped. The laughter that filled the room was filled with such malice, such a sense of victory that the Kyuubi felt something he hadn't felt since the reign of the dark lord.

Terror.

"Hahahahahahaha, ahhhh... In time Kyuubi, you will be mine."

The fox chuckled back, glaring arrogantly at Naruto after his statement.

"**I will never be controlled by such a pitiful creature like you, wretched child."**

Naruto only grinned as he turned around and walked away, putting the ring in his pocket.

"Whatever ya say Kyuubi, have fun with that Morgul blade as it takes root inside your body."

The terror returned twice-fold, and he stared at his paw-hand. He had been wrong. He was not stabbed by the cursed sword of Angmar, but by something much worse.

"**My lord, my love. Please come and save me, I beg of thee... Please..."**

"**Save me."**


	7. Influential hatred

**There was a wall of text here. It has been replaced by a smaller one. There will be a little time-skip in this chapter because nothing else of significance happens in the forest.**

**I can't explain why, but I absolutely love writing Kyuubi's inner monologues. For everyone that wonders: Yes, his past will be delved into later.**

**Sorry for the shorter chapter, and a thank you to Blind Guardian and their songs of pure bliss for helping me finish this chapter. REMEMBER TO TELL ME ABOUT ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMAR MISTAKES I MAKE!**

**LET'S START!**

~FLASH~

Slowly but surely, Shikamaru was beginning to understand Naruto's apparent love for killing. It was surely easier than what they were doing now.

"God dammit Shino, how much more freaking chakra does he have? I can't hold him for all eternity!"

Of course Naruto had gotten himself into trouble while they were separated, Shino's bugs had said so at least. Shikamaru had hoped for a leisurely walk down the tunnel, but instead he found himself and Shino rushing down the passage, one silently hoping that Naruto would survive, while the other person's thoughts was known to no one.

Then they came to the room that Shino said the tunnel had... He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be intrigued or disgusted.

The aura in the room was almost suffocating, such a heavy, almost dead air that lingered in the room, making him feel like every breath he took filled his lungs with a disease.

The entire room was one big lab, evident by the operation table, some left-over instruments and the broken jars and capsules that littered the walls.

He couldn't help but be reminded of the mission where Naruto had... Where everyone had massacred the bandits. He couldn't say that only Naruto had killed in that mission. Himself, Shino and Iruka had also been there, spreading blood and death while they tried to defend a caravan that almost didn't deserve it. Naruto's laughter though had permeated the battlefield though, a sick, cruel and bloodthirsty laughter that spoke of nothing but a corrupted joy in taking others life...

He felt somewhat disgusted with himself that the laughter didn't disturb him. He heard it as he brutally stabbed a bandit, earning a painful scream from the man. The worst part was that he almost caught himself smiling at the carnage he made...

Fuck Naruto and his infectious personality, one of the few things that hadn't changed about him.

Getting through the forest unseen was a literal nightmare for the two of them. Not impossible, but it took them several hours to get where their blond team-mate had was, and the closer they got, the bad feeling that followed them slowly got stronger.

It was for a damn good reason too as the Uchiha had snapped and was trying to murder the bowl-haired, green-wearing team-mate of that Hyuuga's team. It didn't help that the boy seemed to be tired after an earlier fight, evident by the half-dead rain and mist nin they found a short distance away.

"Hurry the fuck up Shino!" He yelled as he slowly felt his somewhat medi-ocre supply of chakra drain.

Damn, no matter how troublesome it sounded, after this test, he was going to train his ass off so he didn't run out of chakra so quickly.

The bug-user kept quiet as he held Sasuke's head. It wasn't known by anyone else than the Aburame clan, but if the bug-host, in this case Shino, had direct contact with the victim, then the bugs could drain their target much faster, but at the risk of the hosts physical health.

It had always baffled Shino that there were so few infiltration and kidnapping missions that had a Nara and Aburame work together. Their abilities worked basically perfect together.

'This power.' Shino thought. 'What is this? It almost feels like... Why does this power feel like whatever that knight used... No, it's not the same. This one is much weaker, and it has chakra mixed in. How did the Uchiha get a bastardized version of that mans power?'

It wasn't long before the boy's eyes closed and the strange tattoos receded.

"So it comes from that mark on his collarbone." Shino muttered to himself as he let the boy fall to the ground.

"Yosh, thank you for helping me take down the rampaging Uchiha, but may I ask what you are doing here?" The green-clad boy said, having his wounds looked after by Sakura, something which made Shikamaru raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"We are here for our companion. Blonde hair, blue eyes, somewhat pale, wearing clothes that's black and rusty-orange, and has a big sword." The bespectacled boy said as he walked towards the massive tree.

A scream tore through the woods. "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SWORD?!" Neither Shino nor Shikamaru was surprised by the anger in their team-mates voice, but they froze for just a moment when they heard the minute amount of fear in it.

Shikamaru who had checked the corpses of the sound-nins had pulled the sword from the body of the lanky one, feeling strangely little when he saw the blood cling to the blade.

"I SAID, WHERE THE FUCK IS IT!" He had barreled out of the hole where Team 7 had resided in, pushing over the bowl-haired boy as Naruto put a kunai at his throat.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, afraid of what he might do to Lee.

She couldn't understand it. This Naruto was nothing like the one she knew in the academy. The Naruto she knew was stupid, ignorant, loud, weak, kind, helpful and endearing... This new Naruto was nothing like that.

She had to suppress a shiver as she remembered how the boy had literally tore the mummified genin's head apart with the ground. Such a ruthless, malevolent action done by the boy she had to admit she somewhat admired for his generally nice aura and his willingness to forgive while seeing the best in everyone.

This new Naruto was not nice. He was not forgiving, nor did he seek the best in everyone he meet. She knew instinctively what the boy wanted.

Blood.

"Oy, Naruto. Stop pestering the kid. Your swords over here. Troublesome blonde." That last part was barely mumbled as Naruto almost ripped his hand off in his somewhat blind obsession with regaining his sword.

Lee sat up while nursing his throat. "What unyouthfulness."

"What's with the bastard?" Naruto asked, pointing his sword at the raven-haired boy on the ground. "And what's with that mark? It feels... Familiar." He felt his excitement swell as a wry grin entered his face, but he held himself back, his mania outweighed by his curiosity for once.

Shino furrowed his brow as he leaned down to inspect the mark closer, the rest of the team following suit as they listened to the boy's quiet analysis.

"I don't know exactly what it is, but if I would have to hazard a guess, I would say it's a seal, an advanced one at that. When it was active, the Uchiha gained a tremendous power boost, but he was also in an uncontrollable rage."

"Probably a chakra-storage seal and a catalyst that activates depending on his emotions." The blonde mumbled, gaining a nod from Shino and a questioning look from Shikamaru.

"I know you've been studying seals for a while, but just how much do you know?"

The sword-wielder shrugged. "Mainly just how to make storage-seals and a bit of theory. Just for a storage-seal you need a basic teleportation component, some kinda space-time containment thing that I don't understand jack about, and a catalyst... Sounds harder than it is, doesn't it?" He ended with a cheeky grin, gaining some sort of satisfaction when he looked at his flabbergasted team-mates.

"Still..." He continued. "That doesn't explain this familiar feeling I get from it."

"We have come over this sort of energy before, but we are dealing with a significantly weaker version, a bastardized version if you will. According to my bugs, it's the same type of energy that knight used, just severely watered down with chakra."

"Really?" Naruto asked, somewhat shocked." Man, what I would do to be a seal master right now, I'd love to siphon some of that power." They couldn't help but sigh at Naruto's somewhat manic look.

Strange what one get used too when something happens regularly.

"I wonder who managed to get a sample of that energy... Heck, I wonder how they managed to duplicate it at all! Inferior or not, it's still the same energy, and it gives a huge boost of power." Shikamaru said, standing up as he stretched, eventually slumping again as he muttered his normal phrase.

"I'm also wondering something. What is Sakura fuzzing over?" Shino murmured just loud enough for his team to hear, making the two inattentive boys look towards where Sakura was, noticing that she was hovering frantically over a somewhat plump form.

"Is that... CHOUJI!"

"Ohgodohgodohgodohgod, his condition is getting worse, but how is this possibly? He's not badly hurt, no internal bleeding, he just got a scrape from the... sword..."

"Sakura, what the fuck happened with him?!" Shikamaru saw the girl do everything she could do with her limited medical skills, which was far from good enough since she couldn't use any medical techniques, and seeing as Chouji had gotten worse as time has progressed, she had begun to panic.

"We... We..." She gulped, the memories of the past 24 hours entering her mind. "W-we were attacked by a strange person. He or she or whatever than person was said its name was O-Orochimaru. T-that person gave Sasuke that mark, but I don't get why Chouji is this ill... He got nicked by a sword Orochimaru had, and-and..."

"... Shino, Naruto..."

"...Yes?"

"Did... Did she just say Orochimaru?"

"Yes... Yes, she did."

"... He got hit by Kusanagi..."

He had never felt like this before. He didn't feel anger. He didn't feel sadness. He didn't feel despair. He didn't feel happiness. He didn't feel confusion.

He didn't feel anything.

Then something in him snapped.

"Naruto, make an earth clone and get Chouji, we are getting to the tower NOW!"

"He's not gonna ma-"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT YOUR EXCUSES, NOW MAKE A FUCKING CLONE OR I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES WITH MY SHADOWS!"

'Holy shit!' Went through everyone's mind as they looked at the livid teen. They had never seen him so angry, so full of energy, so engaged, so... So...

Emotional.

As Naruto formed two clones, only Shino noticed the small smirk on the boy's face. He couldn't help but think that Shikamaru might just have done something extremely stupid.

'So, that's his main button eh?'

Shikamaru sped of the moment the clones picked up Chouji and Sasuke, throwing caution to the wind as the others had no other choice but to follow, Sakura looking back at Lee as the boy ran of in a different direction in hunt for his own team.

Naruto looked over at the big-boned boy, a single thought running through his head.

'I wonder how Shikamaru will reach if Chouji's dead before we reach the tower...'

He thought back to when he killed Mizuki. Why didn't he feel anything back then? Why didn't he feel regret? Angmar couldn't have influenced his psyche so fast, and Naruto was almost as emotionally connected to the man as he was Iruka, despite the fact that he had turned traitor.

'Well, I was always one-track minded. I wanted to become Hokage, and all the Hokage's were famous for slaughtering entire armies without a second thought. Did I subconsciously kill that part of me?'

'Well...' He thought as he looked over at the dying boy. ' If that's the case, then I'm happy for that right now.'

~FLASH~

"Four days... DAMMIT, WE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR FOUR FREAKING DAYS, AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED! THERE AREN'T EVEN A TRAINING GROUND HERE, SO I HAVEN'T GOTTEN IN ANY GOOD PRACTICE WITH MY SWORD DAMMIT!"

Iruka could only sigh in annoyance and a small amount of understanding. Even he in his own genin days had been somewhat irritated by the downtime between exams. Plus, he couldn't deny that this new Naruto had a somewhat more valid reason than the old him, which would probably have been something about ramen.

God, he hated himself for thinking that this new Naruto had something better than the Naruto he loved.

It was quite a shock seeing them come, battered and bruised, especially Naruto, the one he actually expected to be the least injured. The fact that Team 7 accompanied them with a knocked out Sasuke and a nearly dead Chouji didn't help either.

Four days... For four days had the boy been lying in the intensive unit, constantly hovering between life and death as Shikamaru was basically the most hysterical he had ever seen him.

Then there was Sasuke, the new carrier of a cursed seal. The boy was already somewhat unstable, and this extra push that the mark added certainly didn't help with his already fragile mind. Iruka was unsure if he was supposed to sigh in relief or worry by the fact that the team didn't pass the second exam. Team 7 came with no scrolls, therefore they failed.

Then there was Shikamaru. The boy had closed himself off completely after coming to the tower. It seems like knowing that his best friend might die any minute took a heavy toll on the boy, and the fact that he couldn't even see the rotund boy only made it worse. Iruka didn't want to admit it to himself, but the fact that Naruto had hung around the boy during their stay somewhat scared him.

The gods knew that they didn't need another psycho running around.

Iruka watched as his blonde student chatted with his stoic student, somewhat wondering just how Naruto had managed to get Shino to open up to him.

Try as he might, he just couldn't understand the Aburame. He was a perfect example of his clan: Silent, smart, hive-minded, somewhat creepy, and deadly. He had tried to find out what made the boy tick, but so far, only his students had managed to break through the chilly personality the boy had. That Shikamaru had done it was not a big surprise, the two boys was somewhat alike.

Now Naruto on the other hand was something else. Loud, bloodthirsty, a bit dim sometimes and easily readable, which was actually pretty creepy with his easily shifting mood. At first he couldn't understand how Shino managed to stand the boy since their personalities clashed like fire and ice. After a while it had dawned for him as he saw one of Naruto's random visits from the Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru Sarutobi.

A lot had changed about the Kyuubi container, but some aspects of his old personality had remained. He was still easily agitated, he was still easily excited, and he was still somewhat dim, even though Iruka was beginning to reconsider that last aspect.

The last thing that hadn't changed was Naruto's way of influencing other people. Naruto was blunt, rude and extremely honest about what he thought about others, which might be why people take what he says into consideration. In the ninja world, absolute conviction was something one rarely found, and it was those people that managed to get their views and ways of thinking across to others who became great leaders.

In the academy, this had brought forth a trust and belief in the boy, a small hope that this boy maybe, just maybe, would become a great ninja, possibly even Hokage, and a darn good one too.

Dread. Dread, corruption and a tinge of insanity was what he felt from the boy now whenever he spoke. It felt like everything he said had a hidden meaning behind it, and that it was meant to bring everyone around him to the brink of madness.

It had formed around him, almost like an aura of death and despair. The boy almost seemed like he was sustained by the negative emotions of everyone around him, something which actually made a bit of sense. The Kyuubi was said to be made of negative emotions, so the possibility that the boy actually gained strength through fear, despair, hatred and other similar notions seemed more and more likely.

He had to be honest though, whatever Naruto had said to the young Sarutobi seemed to have sparked something in the boy. A strong desire seemed to have formed in the young boy's mind, and shortly after he had bolted, screaming that he would be back once he had done the deed.

'Please Naruto, please say that your twisted mind has left the boy alone.'

He somehow just knew that this wasn't the case.

"Team 10?" Iruka was snapped out of his depressing reverie as he looked over at the door where a chuunin stood.

"The second exam is hereby over. I'm here to bring you to the meeting location where the Hokage will brief you about the last exam."

Iruka couldn't help but sigh as he and his team followed the woman to a large arena. The other genins that had passed was there, which included Team 8, Team 9, a team he didn't really know, and a team from sand.

'15 individuals. I wonder what the Hokage will do, since 15 might just be one too many.'

As Iruka walked over to where the Jounin teachers were standing, he took a quick glance towards his students.

'I must be a terrible person for hoping that Naruto loses.'

The blonde in question was still talking to Shino, and it seemed that whatever they were talking about had riled the boy up somewhat.

"C'mon Shino, can't you at least TRY and get a sample from Sasuke? If I can find out exactly WHAT the stuff is made out of I might find a way to neutralize it with a seal, rendering Sasuke's new seal useless!"

"Don't you think I have already tried? Some of the bugs I used to siphon the energy died, storing it instead of expelling it so I could have a closer look at it later. It's corrosive, eating away at the body every time it's used."

"Wait, so you mean?" Naruto said, paling somewhat at the prospect.

Shino nodded. "The Uchiha, after the initial use, now has a shorter life-span, and he is a bit weaker than before he used the seal. Ingenious really, making you weaker every time you use it, which in retrospect makes you more dependent on it. I wonder if it gets stronger the weaker you get..."

"Shino." The bug-boy stopped his musings as he looked over at the thinking blonde.

"Are you sure the energy itself is actually corrosive? Who is to say that this bastardized energy hasn't been injected with some kind of venom, somewhat ensuring that medics and Aburames can't analyze it easily?"

"That... Might actually be the case. I might have to take a greater look at it, maybe request a small colony of our more poison-resistant bugs which I'll say will be used for another purpose."

"It will be highly appreciated."

Naruto cracked a small smirk as he watched the Hokage finish his speech about the exams. A substitute for war? Well, if the second exam was like a miniature war, then he couldn't wait to see a real, full-scale war.

Several of the other genin complained about the fact that a preliminary tournament had to be performed before the final exam, which lead to an interesting case.

"Anyone willing to quit? Your actions here does not influence your team, and the choice is entirely your own."

"Err..." A voice echoed, a hand being raised into the air. The owner of said hand was a silver-haired teen, possibly young adult with quite large glasses and purple clothes.

"I would like to quit. The forest took a lot out of me, leaving me with almost no chakra, and I still has no hearing in my ear after an incident before the exams."

A moment went by before the old man nodded.

"You may go."

The moment the door closed behind the man, the Hokage once again opened his mouth.

"Seeing as you are now only 14 contestants, we are just at the maximum amount allowed. Congratulations everyone, you are now entering the third exam."

The first proctor began walking among the participants while the Hokage once again spoke.

"In this box is several pieces of paper with a number on it. Everyone shall take one note, and after everyone has attained one, they will tell us what number they got."

Naruto had been too busy thinking about what a real war was like, instinctively taking a note as he was nudged by the large-cloaked team-mate of his as the proctor neared them.

Once again he was nudged, and taking a quick look at the paper he saw his numbed.

"7."

A jounin nodded as he wrote the remaining numbers down. Quickly scanning over the paper he gave it too the Hokage, earning a quick nod of satisfaction after a few seconds. He walked to the genin and turned it for them to see.

**Round one.**

1st (Neji Hyuuga VS Misumi Tsurugi)

2nd (Kiba Inuzuka VS Sabaku no Kankuro)

3rd (Shino Aburame VS Hinata Hyuuga)

4th (Naruto Uzumaki VS Yoroi Akado)

5th (Shikamaru Nara VS Sabaku no Gaara)

6th (Sabaku no Temari VS Rock Lee)

7th (Tenten VS Ino Yamanaka)

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto scanned the crowd for his opponent, which wasn't that hard as the man stared at him like he was some sort of experiment. Oh, he was sooooo going to rip him apart in their match.

"Well..." Iruka said as he lead the team out of the forest. "I am somewhat unsure how to say this, but I am afraid I can't train anyone of you. Shikamaru and Shino, you two need to learn some of the more advanced techniques for your matches, and I will recommend the shadow piercing technique for you Shikamaru."

"Naruto..." The boy snapped his head towards his teacher, somehow feeling saddened by the look in his teachers face.

"I can't help you either. I have basically no skill at all with swords larger than Tanto's, and I know absolutely no wind or earth elemental techniques, so any elemental training I could have given you is out of the question... I'm sorry Naruto, but once again you have to train on your own."

Naruto felt betrayed, not because of what Iruka said, but by the fact that Naruto could pick up that the man was lying too him.

Naruto hated liars.

Just too bad he was a great liar himself.

"Ehh, it's okay Iruka. I have fended for myself basically all my life, this is basically no different than before. I'm used to doing stuff alone." He said, plastering on a fake smile that only one of them saw through, and it was not Iruka.

The man winced at the verbal jab that was put in. It basically reeked with the words 'traitor' in them, signaling that Naruto knew he lied.

He just... He just couldn't stand to be around Naruto anymore. It took a while for him to realize his feeling towards the boy, but during the time they were in the forest, he had five days to think... He finally found an answer to what he felt after a random comment from the second proctor, Anko.

He hated Naruto.


	8. Meeting the sage

**AN: I feel like I am throwing around the word insane way to often. The simplest way to explain the term 'Insane' is that 'insane' usually points towards a person that acts in an unreasonable or irrational way that is outside of the norm. Then again, what is the norm? Doesn't the definition of normal change from person to person? What one might find 'insane' is something another person might find extremely reasonable and normal... I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew with this story...**

**Anyway, anyone know of any good Naruto Time-travel fics out there?**

**LET'S START!**

~Scene~

"So that's the kid, eh?"

"Yes Jiraiya , that's Naruto."

"Hmm, a bit shorter than I expected... and why is he walking around blindfolded?"

The old Hokage peered down at the blonde, observing, along with his student from on top of a house, how the boy never seemed to hit anyone or anything despite his obvious blinded state.

"... I actually do not know, but apparently it does not hamper his ability to maneuver around... I wonder if the cloth has the same properties as the masks that our ANBU use..."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, a questioning look on his face.

"I have to be honest, I do not see this so-called... Insanity that the boy was said to suffer from."

"That is to be expected." Sarutobi said as his pipe somehow appeared in his hand, a cloud of smoke leaving his mouth after an unseen drag.

"Insanity is such a vague term, easily thrown out, and extremely overused... He does not exactly suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder, but rather a strange case of Bi-polarity and a fractured mind."

"Explain." The hermit urged.

"Let me see... you could somewhat say he has two mind-sets that aren't exactly different personalities. One of them are what you now see. He's calm, calculative, but most of all cold... He came to my office two weeks ago, asking for forgiveness for his words, but I wonder if he actually meant what he said."

"Then there's his other mind-set. Ruthless, bloodthirsty... I guess rash, but he has still kept his tactical mind. I am unsure what the trigger is that makes him change mode like he does, which is the main reason for the dire actions that may happen next month... Knowing Naruto and his well-known randomness, then the trigger constantly changes, but there's most likely some constants."

He noticed the somewhat lost look on his student's face and couldn't help but let out a small sigh.

"Just... Just don't piss him of Jiraiya."

The man bristled before puffing out his chest, a proud smile on his face.

"Do not worry, Jiraiya the gallant will help the brat."

He would have jumped after the boy who now had begun his trek towards the woods if the old man didn't grab his wrist.

"Jiraiya, you fool, I am serious here! Do not act like an idiot around him, do not act perverted, be direct with him, and for gods sake, do not tell him I sent you to spy on him! Act like a serious ninja for once, and give him a reason not to go all ballistic on this village, for I fear that if he snaps, Kyuubi will break free!"

The frog-sage let out a sigh before nodding in agreement, a seldom seen serious look on his face. Sarutobi let go of his wrist with a sigh before poffing away, overlooking the slightly rebellious look in his last student's eyes.

Jiraiya jumped off, intent on finding his future student. It wasn't that hard, seeing as the boy had barely managed to get within the tree-line, the path eventually leading towards a clearing.

'Well, better here than in the thickets where he might find it easier to slip away from me.'

"Oy there, Uzumaki!" The moment the voice reached Naruto's ears his sword appeared in a cloud of smoke, the blade pointing directly at where the white-haired man now stood after he jumped down from the trees.

"Do not move another step, or I will butcher you." Well, he certainly understood what the old monkey meant when he said that the boy was cold. The voice was flat, not Itachi level, but still pretty good.

"Heh, I doubt you could, but I am not here to fight you. The old man sent me here to train you after hearing how Iruka somewhat ditched you."

For a moment, Jiraiya thought he had ruined his chance already just by mentioning his Jounin teacher. The scowl on the boy's face as he said his name was not a nice thing. No, not nice at all. He held in a sigh of relief as he saw the boy somewhat lower his sword, showing that he was at least willing to listen.

"What's your name?"

He almost went into his dance before remembering his teacher's words.

"I'm Jiraiya, one of the three legendary ninjas from this village."

It seemed like the boy was happy with the answer before an agitated look entered his face, the sword back in position.

"Jiraiya? That means you're _his_ student! Why are you really here? Are you here to spy on me?"

'Hmm, seems like the old man's suspicion was true, the boy really does not like him... Oh well, the old man said I was supposed to be direct, and I have a feeling that telling Naruto the truth is smarter than keep him in the dark.'

"Well, as I said, I am here to train you for the exams, and I also want you to be my apprentice. As for the spying part, somewhat. He wants you to have some sort of connection with this village so you don't go ballistic and murder everyone."

Even though he couldn't see the boy's eyes, he had a feeling they were rapidly switching between blue and red, the same thing happening to his mother every time her rage reached a certain limit.

"You're... Certainly more open than the Hokage when it comes to your intentions... But to be honest, I don't trust you."

The sage felt a shiver run down his spine as a decidedly creepy smile slowly spread across the teen's face. Oh well, maybe the boy would listen after he beat the shit out of him. He had to give it to the boy though, his earth-manipulation was pretty high, he almost didn't feel the clone that manifested underneath his feet.

"I think I'll kill you instead, much easier."

As the man expected, a blade shot out of the ground from where the earth-clone was. Then again, he was a Kage-level ninja, so he pretty easily side-stepped the sword before rushing towards the boy at blinding speed, pushing the sword away before delivering a hard punch to the boy's stomach.

Naruto barely had time to cough before he was sent flying backwards due to a punch to the face, his vision already swimming as he lay on the ground.

"You may be talented for a genin, but you are still far from my amount of power and experience... Though that is why I want you as my apprentice." He side-stepped a sword-slash before destroying the clone with a simple punch.

"You're a crafty little guy, even disoriented you manage to create clones." He jumped up, dodging another blade before kicking the blonde in the face, showing that it was the real deal as he once again fell to the ground, a stunned and dazed look on his face as blood creeped out of his mouth.

"Look, I'm barely trying here, so please calm down and listen. You're almost chuunin-level, but you're not quite there, you just need a teeny-tiny push before you will own the competition." He walked to the boy before sitting beside the still boy, a frown being emitted from Naruto as he slowly sat up.

"I want to make you my apprentice, I want you to get stronger, and I want you to at least tolerate the village... Are you willing to learn from the strongest man in the village, despite the fact that his teacher once was a man you now despise?"

He couldn't see it, but he guessed Naruto closed his eyes, judging by the small facial twitches that he saw. Well then, that somewhat showed him that Naruto does indeed see through the cloth, which is actually somewhat interesting, but not something he will interrogate the blonde about.

'He's strong, much stronger than Iruka, but he's also that bastards student... He wants to teach me, make me his disciple, but can I trust him? Maybe I should refuse... No! No fucking way! This is perfect! I have finally found someone who may make me strong, and he is also supposed to be a seal-master! Heh, I have always been known as a great actor, now let's put that to the test.'

With a shaking hand the boy raised the blindfold a bit revealing one of his eyes. He gave a small smile as his left eye was blinded, finding himself surprised by how natural the smile felt. Oh, he was furious when he found out that most of the material from the cloak was destroyed after that damn explosive tag in the forest, but there was still enough for him to at least make a blindfold. He thanked the deceased king for making the material see-through from the wearers perspective.

The eye stung due to the light, but he needed to do this to reinforce his acting.

"Fine Jiraiya, I train under you."

"Heh, great to hear. I was actually somewhat afraid that you would refuse. Now then, what to work on first..."

"What about Ninjutsu and physical training? That's really what I need the most before the finals." He said as he lowered the blindfold again.

"Yes, I believe that would be the smartest. You already know how to utilize earth-clones in conjunction with the Hiding Mole technique, so you have a pretty basic, if not effective offense during the exams there. Your eyes and body though aren't as good as it could have been, seeing as you didn't even manage to see me before when I attacked you, so I think we will focus mostly on your physical training."

He let a smile graze his lips as the blonde nodded in agreement. He had to say, he expected a somewhat more violent side to the so-called bloodthirsty side of his, but then again, this might have been a somewhat mild case for all he knew.

'Seems like the old man is one of the 'triggers' as he called them. I must say though, he almost tricked me when he said he accepted the role as my apprentice. It's obvious he doesn't trust me, and is instead milking me for training and experience... Oh well, could be worse, he could have went totally ballistic and gone nine-tails on my ass. I think I'll play along for now, it will be somewhat exciting at least.'

"Okay kid, seal away your sword again and let's start. The best way to warm up is a real spar, and not the ass-kicking I gave you before, so giddy up." He could almost see the glare the boy sent him, and it almost made him smile again.

Almost.

~Scene~

A week came and went, and Naruto was content with the fact that he finally had a defensive technique in his arsenal. He quickly learned that having some kind of defense was smart after almost getting pierced by a spear made of earth... Several times... On the same day.

What surprised him the most though was just how... Honest the man was. Being around people that tip-toed around him for most of his life had left him somewhat paranoid, thinking that no-one ever told him the truth, which is why he was somewhat forced into knowing how to read a person's emotions and mental ticks. More specifically, he would find out a person's ticks when they lied.

Everyone had a way to deal with their own lies, even himself. Naruto found out that whenever he lied, he had a habit of teasing his victim, trying to send them into a rage as to throw them off, and make them focus on everything else but the lie. The old man had a habit of not looking at you, but looking THROUGH you when he lied, effectively making you uncomfortable whenever he lied, which in turn increased the chance of you believing him.

Jiraiya though was different. Everything the man said he meant and believed. Everything he said was the truth, or at least the truth from his own perspective, but that was at least better than a full-out lie. He knew when the man lied, he had seen the man in action. It was quite obvious too, but also extremely effective.

His perverse nature had come forth several times when Naruto was around, but it was never directed towards the blonde. His idiotic way of acting actually reminded him of himself before he was effectively corrupted by Angmar. Oh, he knew what the man had done, and he couldn't give a damn even if he tried.

Naruto had to admit, the man was a better actor than even him. Everyone dismissed him whenever he lied, thinking that the man was as honest as ever. After all, he had no reason to ever be dishonest, right? His pervy comments made him seem like an even bigger dolt, something he always took absolute exploitation of.

It was clear to Naruto why this man was considered the strongest person in Konoha. His experience in battle was second only to the Hokage, his battle-prowess probably far-outweighed that of the aforementioned leader, and his way of lying was so flawless that he had managed to build an entire personality around it. It was utterly amazing.

He was also a pretty good teacher too Naruto admitted, having seen first-hand his teaching methods, and he could honestly say that he liked them.

When it came to Naruto's physical training, there really wasn't a lot they could improve within a month, but there was one thing they could work on, and that was reaction-time.

Despite what many might think, learning how to block, dodge and estimate where something might come from on pure reflex was actually something the blonde found pretty easy. Of course, seeing as his main close-combat skill lied with swordsmanship, they had some initial problems trying to find a good way to practice, seeing as Jiraiya had almost no skills with a sword. Heck, he was actually pretty bad with a kunai, but the aging man was pretty good with hand-to-hand, so that point was left mute.

That's when Naruto met the Toad summons, and he had to say, for the first time in several months, he felt delighted. The ones he was introduced to was remarkable swordsmen... Swordstoads... Whatever, their skill with swords was far higher than his, so he finally got a good workout. That is when he noticed just how... Lacking his prowess with a blade truly was.

During the entire first hour it didn't even take the toad he trained with one second to disarm him. There was one thing Naruto prided himself with, and that was the fact that he was undeniably the best genin swordsman in Konoha, but apparently that meant jack-shit, seeing as how the toads barely tried against him.

He got better though. Jiraiya was actually somewhat impressed by the pace Naruto learned at, saying that even the fourth Hokage didn't pick up the subjects he was taught as fast as Naruto.

Naruto couldn't help but sigh.

Jiraiya had cut the training that day short, saying that even though Naruto had supernatural healing thanks to Kyuubi, he still needed to rest his body at least a bit. He didn't listen though, which was evident by the gouges in the ground and trees around him.

Despite everything, there was a small problem: None of the toads used great-swords, which left him in a bit of a dilemma. For obvious reasons, great-swords was seldom used by ninja, seeing as they have a habit of being large, bulky and heavy, often impeding movement drastically.

His mind drifted to his sword as he stared down on it, panting a bit from exhaustion. The blade was something special. The toads had done everything against it, and not even the smallest scratch was made on the blade, showing the absolutely supreme skills of the smith that had made it.

Naruto had to meet that man. He NEEDED to meet that smithy. He needed a new dagger, a new morgul blade.

He knew exactly what the morgul blade was supposed to do, but he had fucked up, using it on the absolutely worst individual. A man that could not die, and who also was totally immune to whatever spell that was incarnated within the cursed dagger. An item made by that person... It would truly be great.

His thoughts halted, having felt something that he hadn't felt in almost two months.

"It's impossible." He whispered to himself as he tried to sense for the signature. It only took a moment, but there was no mistaking it.

"_So, we meet again." _A deep, raspy voice echoed, black tendrils surrounding the patch of woods Naruto stood in. Naruto's eyes narrowed as an individual he had hoped to never meet again appeared before him, the void closing once the man stood at his full height.

"Abysswalker." The man actually paused for a moment, the question of exactly how the boy knew of him entering his hollow mind.

Naruto saw his chance and took it, slamming his blade in the ground as an ethereal blade was sent towards the black knight. Naruto didn't really care if the attack hit or not as he slammed his hands on the ground, almost twenty clones spawning from the earth.

Without even sparing a glance at his duplicates as they rushed the patiently waiting man, he sunk into the ground along with his sword, hoping to gain as much distance as possible between himself and this... This creature.

Naruto was not stupid. Bloodthirsty, yes. Cold, yes. Stupid though, that was something that left him once Angmar festered inside his psyche. Artorias had held back during their first encounter, wanting Naruto to stab him with the accursed knife. A knife that would eventually give him access to his mindscape. Access that ended with the demise of the being he looked up to.

"**Well, lookie here. Looks like you are in some trouble, eh brat?"**

Naruto couldn't help but snarl in anger at the Maia in his head. Naruto popped out from the ground, the sound of fighting still reaching him as he rushed through the forest he was in, hoping to reach Konoha before the knight managed to catch up to him.

"**Why do you even try? You know he can catch up with you whenever he wants thanks to his control over the Abyss."**

"Boo-freaking-hoo for me then. Doesn't mean jack-shit, as I'm not going to give up that easily."

"Is that so?"

Naruto had never been happier for his sword than right then as he barely managed to block two daggers that tried to cut off his head. A moment later he was kicked in the stomach, separating the two.

"Who are you?" The boy asked as he kept his sword between himself and this new individual.

The appearance of this person was just as odd as the knight. The first thing he noticed was the strange hat-mask combination the person wore, the hat apparently made of some kind of dark-blue cloth that was tightly wrapped around in a cone-like shape, looking like a strange turban. Long, blonde, embroidered hair was uncovered at the back of the person's head, the shade a bit lighter than Naruto's own hair, reaching the middle of the person's back.

The mask was made of silver he guessed, and it covered the entire face, small slanted strips where the individual looked out from, and, strangely enough, a hole in the middle of the forehead.

The same type of cloth that was used with the hat was wrapped around its neck, shoulder and upper arms, the shoulders having silver spikes attached to them as the rest of the person's torso was covered in a black and golden armor, the lower arms and hands covered by slim gauntlets of the same type of metal.

The blue cloth was wrapped around the person's waist, and two flaps of cloth covered the upper parts of the legs. It was hard to see, but both of the person's legs, from the thighs to the feet were protected by the armor, the toes of the boots ending in a slightly curved point, reminding him a bit of the shoes an elf from child-stories might use. The person's height was much more normal than the knight though, few inches shy of six feet.

A soft laughter came from underneath the mask, the tone of it signaling that the individual was a woman.

"My identity is not important, nor will it change anything if I reveal it. All you need to know is that my master wants to met you."

"Your master... You mean Abysswalker?"

The woman barely moved her head to the side, giving of the slight impression that she was thinking.

"How do you know the name of my companion? No matter. As I said, my identity is unimportant, the same with my partner. Now come with me, my master would like a meeting with you."

The blonde looked around the clearing, his side-vision never leaving her out of his sight for even a moment. He couldn't see many viable routes away from here, and he was sure the trick with the clones wouldn't work against this one.

"And exactly why would I want to come with you?" Yes, that was it. Buy time, give the clone he sent towards Jiraiya enough time to get the sage.

"_Your continued existence."_ Naruto paled, his skin almost ashen as the raspy voice of the knight was heard from behind him.

He had a chance, a small chance, but still a chance to manage to hold his ground against one of them with clever uses of earth-walls, earth-clones and the Hiding mole technique. Now though, now his chances was blown to all hell.

He gulped

"What does he want me for?"

All he got for an answer was a laughing duo as they slowly closed in on him.

"_You'll see soon child. Now sta-"_ They stopped moving, their bodies suddenly unresponsive.

"Man, you really have a way of getting into trouble, haven't you, you troublesome, troublesome blonde?"

Naruto, for just a tiny moment relaxed as he heard his lazy-ass team-mates voice. A moment later though he remembered the severity of the situation.

"SHIKA, KILL HER NOW!" He screamed as he swung his sword at Artorias, the blade shining brightly from the enormous amount of chakra Naruto pushed through it. Shikamaru didn't need to be told twice as he had already changed hand-seal, the shadows sprouting tendrils for him to control.

"Shadow piercing technique!"

A moment of silence, then a multitude of sickening squelching noices permeated the forest, most of them coming from the woman as she was pierced by over twenty inch-wide tendrils, the shadows piercing right through her body.

The knight fared no better. The blonde's sword had dug into him from his right collarbone, tearing into him in a diagonal fashion, the sword stopping just shy of cleaving the man in two, just a small sliver of flesh and armor before complete bisection.

A short sigh came from the pine-apple headed genin.

"Man, why do I always have to kill the women?" He was about to cancel his technique, but at the last moment, he noticed something strange.

As expected, the man bleed blood as black as the darkest abyss, but the woman... Why did she also bleed black? It couldn't be real, seeing as neither of the boys felt any form of energy radiating from her that matched the knight's own power.

The Nara gulped as he decided to reinforce his shadows instead.

"Naruto... These two... They aren't human, are they?"

"That is quite a correct assumption, boy."

Shikamaru let his technique shiver out of existence as he felt a pair of daggers at his throat, the colors gold and silver respectively.

The one's the two boys had killed simply dissolved into a dark mist as Naruto was smashed hard by the blunt side of Artorias' great-sword, sending him crashing into a tree, rattling it quite harshly.

"_I have had enough of this. Come with us willingly, or we will not hesitate to kill your little comrade."_

Naruto couldn't believe it. This was not how it was supposed to go! He... He lost, and now Shikamaru might die...

"Fine... You win."

A moment later, Naruto felt like he was falling before his vision blackened. A moment later, he stood in front of the gigantic ornamental cage that the last of the Balrog's resided behind. He couldn't place the look the fox had, but it seemed... Contemplative

"**Boy," **The voice shocked the boy a bit, seeing as it for once was not taunting. **"I am willing to enter a one-time truce, only for this occasion. I do not care about you personally anymore, but I am willing to help you, if only to ensure you will never fall in the hands of those slippery serpents."**

'Serpents? You mean they have more than one master?'

"**That is something that I will talk about later... Naruto, you have my blessing..."**

"**Kill them."**


End file.
